


The Wedding

by lolcat202



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-02 02:36:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4042534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolcat202/pseuds/lolcat202
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina returns to Storybrooke for Mary Margaret and David's wedding, knowing full well she'll have to face Daniel and his wife. AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

If Ruth Nolan had learned to watch where she was going, Regina Mills would never have been in this mess, knee-deep in her closet, looking for her favorite pair of Calvin Klein boots.

“EMMA,” she hollered over her shoulder, “WHERE ARE MY BOOTS?”

“On my feet,” came the reply from downstairs.

Regina swore under her breath. She was determined to finish packing before bed for the trip to Storybrooke, and it was just like Emma to screw up her plans. Just like both of her cousins, in fact. Mary Margaret was marrying David Nolan, forcing Regina to come home for the week’s worth of festivities, and Emma was wearing the boots that she’d planned to wear to the welcome-home barbecue. Regina’s admittedly limited patience was gone, and she once again cursed the fact that Ruth Nolan had tripped over a curb and shattered her kneecap, forcing her son to return to Storybrooke to care for her and to cross paths with Mary Margaret after seven years. Seven blissfully quiet years where she hadn’t heard Mary Margaret mooning over her high school love, and then he had returned, and all her peace and quiet had pretty much gone right into the crapper.

Henry popped his head into her room, holding out her boots in his small hand. “You wanted these?”

She took the boots gratefully. “Thank you, sweetheart. Are you all packed? Do you need our help?”

He shook his head, his dark brown hair falling into his green eyes. “Nope, all set. But Mom is still watching a marathon of Orange is the New Black downstairs, and she won’t let me into the living room until she’s done.” His eyes drifted to her nightstand, where her iPad and Candy Crush awaited.

Regina gestured to the iPad. “One hour, and then bed. And don’t you dare beat my level or I’ll kill you. I’ll take care of Emma.”

Taking care of Emma was second nature to Regina, ever since her aunt and uncle had died when the twins were six years old and Emma and Mary Margaret had come to live in the Mills household. Mary Margaret had always been a dreamer and a romantic, but she had been the responsible one of the girls. She was the one who always finished her homework, always put her dishes in the dishwasher, and always tried to keep out of Cora’s way. Emma, though…Emma was a hot mess from day one. Even at the tender age of thirteen, Regina had spent more time trying to keep Emma out of trouble than trying to get herself into trouble.

Not that that was a hardship. Cora Blanchard Mills expected nothing less than perfection from her only child, and Regina was never one to disappoint. She’d done the right and proper thing always, right up until the time she’d wound up pregnant her junior year of college.

Regina shook her head. Best not think about that. Best not think about anything from those days – just get through the wedding and get back to Arlington, where her life was calm and quiet and completely her own.

Well, her own, and Emma’s, and Henry’s, but that was fine with her. It was an odd little family they made, her cousin-slash-sister and the son she’d been pregnant with when she’d showed up, devastated and alone on Regina’s doorstep ten years ago, but it was a family that suited her just fine. She had a successful career, men when she wanted them, and a closet full of clothes that she’d chosen without a single thought of what her mother would say. She dug through the dry cleaning carefully hung in her closet, choosing the dresses that made her feel like a knockout. At 34, feeling like a knockout was not as easy as it had been at 25, but Regina still had a flat stomach and muscle tone that made her cousins envious, and she was going to play it up for all she was worth.

Because she was going to see Daniel again. And she’d be damned if she didn’t give him something to think about.

***

An hour later, Regina’s suitcase was placed by the front door next to Henry’s Avengers duffel bag. Emma, of course, was still engrossed in the adventures of Piper, Red and Crazy Eyes, the only change being that her feet were in Star Wars socks rather than Regina’s boots.

“Seriously, Emma?” Regina snapped. “Have you packed at all?”

“Relax,” Emma replied, not bothering to pause the tv. “I have everything laid out. I’ll be ready to go at 9am sharp, boss.”

Regina kicked Emma’s feet off of the coffee table and plopped herself on the couch. “I really don’t want to do this,” she muttered.

“No shit,” Emma replied. “But if I have to wear that ugly pink dress, so do you.”

The bridesmaids’ dresses were actually quite beautiful, due in large part to Regina’s influence. Emma hated to wear anything other than jeans and sweaters, and Ruby’s taste was more appropriate for a Vegas showgirl than a small-town Virginia waitress. Knowing this, Regina had insisted on final veto power when Mary Margaret had asked her to be in the wedding. Fortunately, Emma was happy to take whatever Regina told her she would wear as long as she didn’t have to try it on first, and a little heavy-handed flattery was enough to convince Ruby that the single men in Storybrooke (all three of them) would flock to her in this dress. So, not for the first time and definitely not for the last, Regina had gotten her way.

There was something to be said for being the big sister. Cousin. Whatever.

“I put that purple dress with the zipper back and the ribbon on your bed. Thought you might like to wear it for the rehearsal dinner.” Emma grunted her thanks, unwilling to tear her eyes from the tv, where a bunch of women were chasing around after…a chicken?

“Why is there a chicken in the prison?”

Emma sighed and paused the tv. “You would know that if you had come down and watched this with me like I asked. Now you’re just ruining it for me.”

“Sorry.” Regina looked down at her hands, realizing that she probably should have gotten a manicure. And maybe lost a few pounds, and gotten some botox, and found someone to give her a prescription for Xanax. Anything to give her an edge over the inevitable face-to-face with Daniel. “I just wanted to be ready for tomorrow.”

“Is he going to be there tomorrow?” Emma asked.

“I don’t know,” Regina answered. “I didn’t ask, and Mary Margaret didn’t say.”

She could feel Emma studying her face, taking in her slumped shoulders and seeing the way she picked at her cuticles. Of all her family members, Emma was the only one who had ever been able to see through the veneer of perfection. She had told Mary Margaret that it was fine to invite Daniel to the wedding, that Daniel was David’s cousin, so why shouldn’t he be there? Mary Margaret had taken it at face value, and it was only the promise of four new tires for her Bug that had convinced Emma to put down the phone the night she found out and had threatened to call her twin and read her the riot act for daring to put Regina in that position.

The irony that she paid out $400 to stop Emma from protecting her delicate feelings was not lost on Regina. But she could afford it ten times over, and she was grateful for the support.

Emma turned off the tv. “You’re not going to sleep if you think I’m down here wasting my time, are you?” Regina laughed and shook her head. “Of course you’re not. I’m going to go up and pack, and you’re going to go to bed, and tomorrow we’re going to face the music together.” She pulled Regina off the couch and sent her to the stairs with a gentle push. Regina was halfway up the stairs before Emma called up to her. “I did pack my flask already. Just in case you need it.”

She was going to see Daniel and Zelena together for the first time. Of course she was going to need it.

***

Storybrooke, Virginia had been an idyllic place to grow up, especially if your ancestors were the ones who founded the town. The Blanchard family had been the royal family in Storybrooke since the 1800s. Regina Blanchard Mills was well aware of what that meant for her, even at the tender age of six. Her uncle was the mayor, and had been since her grandfather had passed away when she was a baby. Her father had inherited several businesses in the town, which meant that she was the heir to both the Blanchard kingdom and the money behind the throne. That was, until her uncle Leo had married Ava and had the audacity to produce two more children. Regina’s mother had never gotten over the fact that her younger brother had been chosen at birth to ascend to the mayor’s throne, and the addition of two more heirs apparent had only made things worse. The big house on Mifflin Street, the administrative job at City Hall, and the fawning admiration of Henry Mills wasn’t enough to make things right for Cora. She had held an uneasy truce with her brother until the day that Ava went into the hospital to deliver the twins, and until the day six years later that Leo and Ava were killed in a car accident on Route 7, Regina could count on one hand the times she had spent in their presence.

Regina bore the death of her aunt and uncle stoically, being too self-involved at 13 to understand what it all had meant. Her home life had shifted almost immediately; Cora had taken over the mayor’s office, and all of a sudden there were two little girls just down the hall from her bedroom. Two little girls who were her both her family and complete strangers. Cora had accepted them into her home with resignation, if not warmth, but Regina had been enchanted from the start by her two young cousins. Mary Margaret had followed her everywhere for the first year, looking for the warmth of a mother’s love in Regina since she certainly knew she wouldn’t get it from Cora. Regina had been powerless against Mary Margaret’s doe eyes and clumsy affection, given freely and without demand for repayment. Emma, though…Emma had started a fire in the kitchen in the first week that she had lived in the Mills house, convinced that she knew how to work the toaster oven right up until the point that it had burst into flames.

Cora still didn’t know about that. Regina had been on watch, but had been on the phone with Kathryn discussing a boy that she’d liked. When she’d heard the screams from the kitchen, she’d come running down and found the toaster in flames. She’d dumped a cup of water on it, and when the glass had shattered, Regina had borne the brunt of it. She still had the scar from flying glass above her lip. By the time her parents had gotten home from whatever social occasion they’d been attending, the toaster had been safely deposited in the trash, the mess had been cleaned up, and Regina had created a cover story about tripping over a pair of shoes and catching her lip on her desk. Regina had replaced the toaster oven the next day out of her own allowance, and Emma had sworn, with all the fire and sincerity of a six-year-old, that someday she would find a way to repay Regina.

As they headed along the toll road to Storybrooke, Regina thought that Emma had yet to fulfill her promise. Someday was a long time, though, and Regina had a sinking feeling that this coming week would be the time that she’d need Emma to guard her back.

***

Cora was waiting for them as they pulled into the driveway, piling out of Regina’s well-kept Mercedes. She hugged her daughter, cast a disapproving glance at Emma, and threw her arm around Henry’s shoulders.

“It’s so good to have you home again,” she said.

Emma rolled her eyes, knowing that the ‘you’ in that sentence most definitely did not extend to her. She pushed Regina out of the way and popped the trunk to the car, pulling their bags out with ease. Regina stood in the driveway at a bit of a loss. She didn’t want to interrupt Cora’s undivided attention on Henry, but at the same time, she wanted her mother’s attention for herself. Coming home always did that to Regina, set her back to being an eight year old who wanted her mother’s approval.

Sometimes she envied Mary Margaret and Emma being orphans. There was something to be said for not having parents to please, or disappoint.

As she guided Henry into the house, Cora turned and looked at Regina. “Regina, sweetheart, can you call Marco and check on the awning? He was supposed to bring it over today, but I haven’t heard from him.”

“Of course, Mother,” Regina replied. She wanted to say more, something about how nice it was to see her maybe, or how Mother would be glad to know that she’d just closed the largest deal in the region for the year, but Cora was disappearing through the side door. It could wait.

Emma dropped Regina’s suitcase by her feet, interrupting her thoughts. “Well, at least she’s glad to see one of us.”

Regina laughed. “Only until she finds out he got a C in math.”

***


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina meets the new man in town.

She unpacked carefully, hanging designer dresses next to her high school track jacket. Shirts, socks and underwear went into the top dresser drawer.  She pulled open the second drawer, expecting to find it empty (Cora went through a clean-and-dump phase at least twice a year), but she found it still full of sorority t-shirts and college sweatshirts. Regina dug through the pile, looking for her favorite UVA sweatshirt. She found it at the bottom of the stack, beat-up heather gray with frayed cuffs, and pulled it from the drawer. She shook it out and held it up.

It wasn’t her UVA sweatshirt. It was the UVM sweatshirt she’d practically lived in her first three years of college. She balled it up, shoved it to the bottom of the pile and slammed the drawer closed. Why hadn’t her mother cleaned this out yet?

“Regina,” her mother called from down the hall. “Have you called Marco yet?”

“I’ll do it now, Mother,” she answered. She ducked her head into Mary Margaret’s room, where her mother was hanging up Henry’s clothes, setting aside a few shirts for ironing. Henry, meanwhile, sat on the flowered bedspread, glaring at the ‘N Sync poster on the wall. He caught her eye and nodded at the poster. “It’s still here.”

“Mary Margaret has assured me she’ll come over and clean out this room,” Cora said grimly. “She lives ten minutes away, and still can’t find half an hour to come over here and do it. I told her she has one month, and then everything goes in the trash.”

“If you want to start with that poster, I’ll help. I don’t think I can sleep with Justin Timberlake staring at me like that.” Henry said balefully.

“I think you’ll manage,” Regina replied. “Mother, where is your address book? I need to get Marco’s number.”

“By the phone, dear. I left a grocery list on the kitchen counter as well. Can you run out to the store for me? You can ask your father for some cash. He should be home in the next few minutes.”

Regina sighed. “I can afford groceries, Mother.”

“Don’t be silly, dear. You need to hold onto your money. Your father will take care of it.” And just like that, Regina was eight years old again, in trouble for spending her allowance on books and candy. She trudged down the stairs toward the kitchen, making a mental note to bring up a garbage bag to get rid of the unwanted items in her own room. Starting with that sweatshirt.

***

Her phone rang just as she reached the door to Granny’s. She dug the phone out of her bag, seeing Emma’s face mugging at her from the lock screen. She tapped the green icon to answer the call. “What’s up?” she asked.

“I need your car. I left one of my textbooks on the kitchen counter, and Cora doesn’t trust me with her car to drive 30 miles and back.”

Regina sighed. “You know I asked you if you’d left anything in the kitchen, right? Twice? You remember that?”

“Maybe I left it there on purpose so that you could feel good about yourself about being right.”

She laughed. “Or maybe you didn’t leave anything behind and are just looking for an excuse for an afternoon booty call with Killian.”

“Regina. If that were the case, I would just tell you straight out.” She would, too. Emma had no filters when it came to her love life, regardless of how many times Regina had told her that sharing definitely did NOT mean caring.

“I just got to Granny’s, but I’ll be back after this. Do you want me to bring you back coffee?”

“You’re a goddess among women. Mocha with cinnamon.” Emma paused. “And hurry up. I’ve been here for less than two hours and your mother is already driving me crazy.”

“That is but one of her many talents. I’ll be home in 20.” Regina tapped the end call button. She reached for the door handle, but another hand had gotten there first and pulled the door open for her. Her eyes followed the hand, over what appeared to be a nicely toned arm clad in forest green cotton, and up to a set of very blue eyes.

“Allow me,” he said, gesturing to the doorway. He looked to be in his late 30s, with sandy blonde hair and a bit of a scruffy beard. He smiled down at her, and she couldn’t help returning the smile. “Thank you,” she replied.

She had gotten maybe ten feet inside the restaurant before Ruby shrieked and shot through the kitchen door to hug her. Regina was not the warm fuzzy hugging type, but Ruby had never let that stop her. Cursed with an unfortunate overabundance of personality, Ruby considered any member of Mary Margaret and Emma’s family to be family of her own (much to Cora’s horror and Regina’s constant irritation). Regina patted Ruby awkwardly on the back, mentally calculating how quickly she could pull herself out of Ruby’s overenthusiastic embrace.

“You’re here!” Ruby shouted right into Regina’s ear. “I can’t wait to get the party started! Where’s Emma?”

“She’s back at my parents’ house, waiting for me to bring her coffee so she can run home and pick up a few things.” Regina stared pointedly at Granny’s ancient espresso machine.

“She forgot her dress, didn’t she?”

“I packed the dresses. And the shoes, and the jewelry. So, no, she’ll be ready to go on Saturday. But she is waiting for me, and the longer she waits, the more time she spends with my mother, so…” Regina gestured to the counter.

As Ruby set to work on the coffee, Regina surveyed the diner. Like everything else in Storybrooke, it hadn’t changed since she was a child. Same menus. Same scratched formica counter with red stools where she and Kathryn had devoured cheeseburgers after track practice. Same sickly green paint in the hallways where she and Daniel had stolen kisses, tucked away from her mother’s prying eyes. The only noticeable difference was that Ruby was working the counter now instead of her grandmother.

Well, that and the man who had held the door open for her. He was definitely new. He sidled up next to her as she leaned on the countertop, tapping her fingernails absently on the counter. “I’ve been coming in here every day for a month, and I’ve never gotten such an enthusiastic response from Ruby.” He had a roguish smile and charming dimples, and the English accent was icing on the cake. Regina was frankly shocked that Ruby wasn’t swooning dramatically over the cash register.

She raised her eyebrows. “Maybe you should tip a little better.”

“I tip very well, thank you,” he said, mockingly affronted.

“Well, then. Unless you can help Ruby pass sixth grade math, I think you’re out of luck.”

He looked over at Ruby. “Something tells me that she’s past needing a math tutor.”

“You could try your charm, if you have any.”

“I have ample reserves of charm, milady,” he said, flashing those dimples again. “I would have hoped that it would be apparent to you by now.”

So, he was flirting with her. Not what she’d expected when she’d come into the diner, but flattering all the same. Regina chuckled. “If that’s your best work, it’s no wonder you get lousy service.”

“I shall have to try harder. Robin Locksley,” he said, extending his hand to her.

“Regina Mills,” she replied, taking the hand he offered with a firm grasp.

“Regina Mills? I do believe I owe you thanks instead of charm.” She raised an eyebrow, and he continued. “Or perhaps in addition to the charm. I’m with the Northern Virginia Food Bank. I’m here setting up our new distribution center.”

Oh, right, the food bank. They’d been looking for space in Fairfax to expand their operation, but Regina had convinced them to move further out the Beltway to take advantage of cheaper rents and better quality product. Cheaper rents meant more money going to their mission, so it had been a relatively easy sell to the NVFB. Once that lease had been signed, Regina had one more fully occupied building in her pipeline and was 20,000 square feet closer to being the top leasing agent in the region. “I trust the new space is serving you well, then.”

“Oh, yes. You were quite right about this location.”

“I so often am,” she replied smugly. Ruby slid two cardboard cups on the counter in front of Regina, looking back and forth between Regina and Robin with what could only be called a shit-eating grin on her face. Regina fixed her with a stony glare, which was almost enough to wipe the smirk of Ruby’s face.

“Soy latte?” he asked, his nose crinking with disdain. Just like a Brit to be judgmental of caffeinated beverages.

“Have you ever seen a cow being milked? Trust me, it’s enough to turn you off of milk forever.” She took a sip of her coffee. Rich and warm, sweet nectar of the gods. Ruby might be a pain in the ass, but she made a fine latte.

Her text alert went off, and she pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket. It was from Emma – two pictures. The first was of Cora in profile, arms crossed, a look of disapproval on her face. The second was a selfie of Emma, her fingers forming a mock gun pressed to her temple. _Be right there_ , she texted back.

“Well, Mr. Locksley,” she said, tucking her phone back into her pocket, “it was a pleasure to meet you, but I have to be going. Duty calls.” She picked up the two cups and smiled gratefully at Ruby. “I’ll see you this evening. Thanks for this.”

“Anytime, toots. Oh, and Regina…” Ruby called as Regina headed to the door. “Just so you know, Daniel and the Wicked Bitch checked into the B&B about an hour ago.”

Regina’s stomach dropped, but she schooled her features into a mask of indifference. “Good to know. Thank you.”

“Wicked Bitch?” Robin asked.

“It’s a small town. Everyone has a nickname. Stick around long enough and you’ll get one too.” She waved a finger, still wrapped around her coffee, at the girl behind the counter. “Later, Ruby.” She turned to nod to the man still leaning up against the counter. “Robin,” she said with a smile.

“Until next time,” he replied, and the way he looked at her made think that if next time came sooner rather than later, that might not be so bad.

***

Emma was waiting for her in the driveway, shifting impatiently from one foot to another. “Thank God,” she said dramatically as Regina climbed out of the car. Regina handed over the car keys and the mocha.

“Try not to take all day,” she said. “We have to be impeccably dressed and gracious at 7pm.”

“I make no promises.” Emma picked at the lid of her coffee, looking every inch the petulant six-year-old she’d been the first time she’d come to this house. “Did you know my jeans are too tight?”

“What?”

Emma nodded. “My jeans are too tight. Not appropriate for a woman with a ten-year-old.”

Regina was utterly confused by the turn in the conversation. “But- Henry is nine.”

“Yes, he is. And apparently, he’s not the only one in this family who sucks at math.”

Regina laughed. “Help me get the groceries out of the trunk before you take my only means of escape.” Emma followed Regina to the back of the car. “And for the record, those jeans look fine on you. If they didn’t, I wouldn’t let you be seen with me.” Regina started hauling bags from the trunk. “Ruby says hi, by the way.”

“Speaking of jeans that are too tight,” Emma cackled. “I’ll stop by the diner on my way back.”

***

“It was very generous of you to let Emma use your car,” Cora said, but her tone told Regina quite plainly that generous wasn’t the word. Stupid perhaps, but not generous.

“She has a better driving record than I do. Than you do as well, Mother.”

Cora sniffed. “Emma has never had any respect for other people’s things. Remember the toaster?”

Regina choked on her soy latte. “You knew about that?”

“Regina, this is my house. Of course I knew about that. I let it go because it seemed important to you that you take care of it.”

“She’s not six years old anymore, Mother.”

“Maybe not,” Cora said doubtfully, “but people don’t ever change.”

Regina closed her eyes. For her own sake, she hoped that her mother was wrong.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                           


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina finally comes face-to-face with Daniel after fourteen years.

Regina and Henry were sprawled out on Regina’s bed when Emma returned with her errant textbook. “What are you two doing in here?” Emma asked.

“Hiding from Mother.” Regina said.

 “And Justin Timberlake,” Henry added.

Emma shoved Regina toward the center of the bed and plopped down in her place. “If it bothers you that much, you can sleep in my room, kid.”

“No way,” Henry replied. “That poster of the dude drawing his arm freaks me out.”

“Tell you what, next time we’ll bring an Avengers poster for you. Cool?” Henry nodded, beaming at his mother.

“Next time?” Regina groaned. “Let’s not think about next time.” She dropped a pillow over her face.

Emma lifted a corner of the pillow. “It can’t be that bad. She likes you. Sort of.” She dropped the pillow back over Regina’s head and patted it somewhere in the general vicinity of her face.

“It’s not that bad,” Henry said. “Aunt Regina is just tired from the grocery store trip, and the table centerpieces, and the vacuuming.”

“Vacuuming? I thought the party was supposed to be outside.”

Regina shoved the pillow aside. “People will have to come in to use the bathroom, Regina,” she said in a perfect imitation of her mother’s cool, clipped voice. “We can’t have them thinking we’re slobs.”

Emma laughed. “You vacuumed? You don’t vacuum. _I_ vacuum.” Emma did vacuum, and very well. It was part of the deal they’d struck when Emma had quit her job to go back to school. Regina paid the bills, and Emma did the cleaning. Regina was dreading the day when Emma finished school and reentered the working world, putting an end to the free maid service. Maybe she could pay Henry to vacuum, Regina thought. He was nine; surely he was old enough to handle a vacuum.

“Girls,” Cora’s voice drifted up the stairs. “It’s time to start getting ready.”

“Yeah,” Regina muttered, “time to get ready. So go change those hideous jeans.” She pushed herself up against the headboard, still clutching her pillow.

“Are you wearing that red dress with the cutout in the front?” Emma asked.

“I hadn’t planned on it. Isn’t this supposed to be a casual barbecue?”

“Better to be overdressed than underdressed. Clothes are armor, Regina,” Emma said primly. “Besides, I saw some out-of-town guests at the diner when I stopped in to say hi to Ruby, and I think they’d be impressed by the red dress.”

“What out-of-town guests?” Henry asked.

“Just some people I used to know,” Regina said, ruffling his already messy hair. “Why don’t you go get dressed?”

Henry pushed himself off the bed and shuffled out of the room. “It’s ok if you don’t want to tell me,” he said over his shoulder. “Mary Margaret will. You know she can’t keep a secret.”

“Ask her anything, and I’ll blow up a life-size picture of the flying monkeys from Wizard of Oz and hang it right over your bed.” Regina threatened and laughed as Henry raised his hands and backed slowly out of the room. “Won’t ask. Don’t want to know. I was never here.”

“So,” Emma said, sidling over to Regina’s closet and eyeing her Calvin Klein boots, “Ruby said you made a new friend.”

“What?”

“The British guy. She said you were making Bambi eyes at each other.”

“Emma, I do not make Bambi eyes. I have never in my life made Bambi eyes, and I certainly wouldn’t start with a strange man in a cheap restaurant.”

“Oh, please. You practically melted into a puddle every time Chris Hemsworth came on screen during the Avengers. You really do like a man with an accent, don’t you?”

Emma had a point, but Regina wasn’t going to admit it. “Chris Hemsworth is a national treasure.” Emma raised her eyebrows, waiting for Regina to continue. “He’s a client. He works for the food bank and is here setting up the new space. I was just being polite.” She picked at the pillowcase. “So, you saw Daniel and Zelena.”

“Don’t you change the subject on me, sister. Tell me about the Brit.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Regina said. “He’s British. He was very nice. His company got me a good commission, so I was nice to him in return. End of story.” The story left out the blue eyes and dimples and charm, but there was no way she was telling Emma about that part.

Emma had already zipped up one of Regina’s boots and was sliding on the second. “Fine, don’t tell me.”

“I was going to wear those tonight, you know,” Regina said dryly.

“They don’t go with your red dress.” Emma tossed a pair of black stilettos toward the bed. “These do. Now get ready.”

***

Mary Margaret was waiting for them when they descended the stairs, all doe eyes and gamine innocence. She broke into a wide smile at the sight of Emma and enveloped her in a bear hug as soon as Emma hit the foot of the stairs. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered into her sister’s ear. Regina stepped gently past them and went to greet David, who looked more than a little apprehensive at being in the mayor’s house. Regina couldn’t blame him; Cora was eyeing him like he’d tracked dog shit in on his shoes. She extended an arm to hug him, a little surprised when he threw both his arms around her and kissed her cheek. She pulled back and glared at him. “I hope you haven’t already been hitting the champagne,” she said.

David laughed and shook his head. “No, not at all. I’m just glad you’re here. Glad all this is happening finally.”

 _Finally_. Well, it had been a long time coming, considering that David had sworn to marry Mary Margaret back when they were both seventeen. Of course, David had also sworn to become the head of the FBI, and here he was, a small-town sheriff. He didn’t seem to be worse the wear for the death of his teenage dream, though. In fact, he looked like a man who had stumbled upon the secret to life while walking his dog. Overjoyed at his good fortune, but more than a little confused about how it had all happened so fast.

David released her and turned to hug Emma, and Regina reached back to take Mary Margaret’s hand. “You look beautiful, little Snow White. All glowing with happiness.”

“And you, Rose Red. You’re a knockout in that dress. Let’s get the Swan Princess and go out to meet the guests. I think our Little Red  Riding Hood has already taken up prime real estate at the bar.”

***

An hour into the barbecue, Regina decided that this was going to be the longest night of her life. And quite possibly the worst. She’d been paraded in front of her parents’ friends, smiling and nodding and giving all the correct, perfectly polite answers to their nosy questions. Three had asked her when she was getting married. Two had told her that they’d expected Cora to be throwing _her_ wedding. And one, a spiteful old bitch that smelled faintly of cat litter, pointed out that she’d better get a move-on if she was planning to have kids. Regina was at the bar, waiting for the bartender to finish flirting with Ruby and refill her glass of champagne with a little bit of fizzy courage.

Then she saw Daniel and Zelena come in with their two little girls, all matching outfits and perfect smiles. Regina asked the bartender for a vodka soda instead. She took an unladylike swig of her drink and made a beeline for her apple tree, hoping to hide behind it until all the guests were gone.

“Not so fast,” came a soft voice from behind her, and a familiar hand grasped her elbow. “You’re not hiding from anyone tonight, Regina.”

Kathryn. Thank God.”It’s about time you got here,” Regina hissed.

“Sorry,” Kathryn replied with a smile. “The babysitter was late. Now smile and look like you’re having the time of your life. He’s looking all over for you.”

Regina smiled, all white teeth and determination. “A little softer, good lord. You look like you’re about to eat me alive and then chew on my bones,” Kathryn whispered.

She dropped her chin and laughed. “Sorry. I’m just a little bit on edge.”

“No kidding. You look like you’re about to start vibrating from all the tension.” Kathryn paused. “You look fantastic, though.”

Regina cocked an eyebrow at Kathryn. “Clothes are armor,” they said in unison, repeating the words they’d been told a hundred times over in high school, and dissolved into giggles. “I’m glad you’re here,” Regina  said to her oldest friend.

“Where else would I be? There’s nothing good on TV tonight. Now come say hello to Frederick. He misses you, you know. Everyone around here is actually nice to him.”

The night got a little bit easier after that. Regina and Kathryn laughed about old memories, and Kathryn teased Regina for abandoning them for the bright lights of the big city. Regina promised Kathryn that if she ever ditched Frederick, she’d always have a place to stay. Frederick rolled his eyes and apologized yet again for interfering in their great love story. Through it all, Kathryn kept her eyes peeled on the crowd, subtly shifting her body to block Regina from Daniel’s constantly searching gaze. And every half hour or so, either Emma or Ruby would stop by with a fresh drink for Regina. Water, if it was Emma’s turn, and vodka if it was Ruby’s. After the second vodka soda, Regina finally started to relax. She hated being at home in Storybrooke, but it wasn’t all bad, especially when she had friends watching her back.

Regina and Emma were regaling Kathryn and Frederick with the tale of a spectacularly bad blind date that Emma had set up for Regina when Henry crashed into her from behind, knocking her water loose and sending it spilling all over Emma’s (not too tight) jeans. “Sorry, Regina, Mom,” he breathed. “We’re playing tag.”

“Really? Now? Are you trying to get us all grounded?” Emma snapped.

“It’s all adults here. It’s really boring. We were just trying to have some fun,” Henry said, gesturing to his playmates. Two little girls with red hair and matching dresses. “This is Rachel and Meredith. David’s their cousin.”

“Go play in the side yard,” Emma said, waving them off. “The kid is too nice to strangers,” she muttered to Regina.

“He certainly doesn’t get that from me,” Regina replied, turning back to Kathryn. She took one look at the wide-eyed look of panic on Kathryn’s face, and her heart stopped. No need to guess who was coming up behind her.

“Sorry about that. The girls don’t always pay attention to where they’re going.” She’d know that voice anywhere. _Dammit_.

She turned and offered Daniel a gracious smile. “Kids will be kids,” she said. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling overdressed and underprepared.

“I guess they will,” Daniel chuckled. “I seem to remember you running headlong into a few people in your day. The difference was, you were usually on a horse when you did it.”

 _Oh, don’t do that_ , she thought. _Don’t bring up those days like they’re just bygones, happy memories to be revisited on holidays and summer vacations_. “Daniel,” she said coolly, hugging her arms tighter against her waist. “Good to see you.”

“You too, Regina. You look great. Very happy.” She smiled at that, a rote response that she’d been giving all evening, _Yes, happy perfect Regina_. Kathryn kicked her sharply, pointed heels meeting ankle bone. Right. No smiling.

“I’m glad you could be here. I know it means a lot to David and Mary Margaret.” She cut her eyes at Emma, flicking her gaze down to her drink and back up. Emma disappeared without another word.

“So, Daniel,” Kathryn cut in brightly, “How’s Boston?” Regina didn’t bother to listen for the reply; she was too busy once again looking for an escape route. _A Blanchard never backs down from a fight_ , her mother’s voice echoed inside her head. Regina pictured her father, hiding out at the golf course rather than dealing with his wife. _A Mills does_ , she answered sullenly, but she steeled he self and brought her attention back to the somewhat stilted conversation at hand.

Oh, and how delightful. Just in time for Zelena to join their little group. “Regina,” the redhead said, “how are you? Oh, it’s so nice to see you again. It’s been too long.” It had been fourteen years since Regina had last laid eyes on her former nemesis. Not long enough.

“Zelena,” she said through gritted teeth. “My mother tells me you have quite the impressive research job in Boston. Congratulations.” Cora had mentioned that Zelena was studying infectious diseases at a university lab in Boston. _Takes one to know one_ , Regina thought to herself.

“Oh, yes, we’ve made a lot of progress on MRSA infections. It’s quite exciting really. But what about you? I hear that you’re still in this area. And living with your stepsister. How sweet.”

If one of those waiters had been standing nearby, Regina would have cheerfully liberated a toothpick from him and stabbed Zelena in the eyeball.  Fortunately, she had the next best thing – Emma pressing a vodka soda into her hand. “Zelena, you remember Emma. My stepsister slash cousin slash roommate.”

Zelena held out a hand to Emma. The blonde looked at the hand, and then gave Zelena a slow and disapproving once-over. Cora Blanchard Mills could not have done it better. “Uh huh,” Emma said, and turned back to Regina. “They’re starting the toasts, so our presence is requested.” She dragged Regina away without another word.

“God, I hate her,” Regina sighed, leaning into Emma’s arm

“I know.”

“Do you have a toothpick? I need a toothpick.”

“Oh, Jesus, you do not,” Emma said, not knowing what Regina meant, but knowing it wasn’t good. She picked up her pace a little bit. “No more vodka for you.”

***

True to her word, Emma refused to let Regina have another drink for the rest of the party, arguing that she wasn’t going to be the one to get yelled at when Regina was useless with a hangover the next day. As a result, Regina was mostly steady on her feet when it was time to say goodnight to the guests. She stood between her mother and Mary Margaret,  not sure how she’d gotten forced into the makeshift receiving line when it wasn’t even her party, but the look that Cora had given her was enough to convince her to stay put.

Daniel, Zelena and their two girls came over to say goodnight, embracing Mary Margaret and David and offering best wishes. True to form, Zelena passed Regina over completely and air-kissed Cora. Daniel, though…Daniel grasped her hand in his and leaned down close enough that their foreheads were almost touching. “It was great to see you, Regina. I hope we can have a little bit of time to catch up while I’m here.”

Regina smiled and nodded mechanically, pulling her hand a little more forecefully than necessary from Daniel’s. “Thanks for coming,” she said brightly.

As Daniel and his family walked down the driveway toward the valet, Cora sighed and rested her arm around Regina’s waist. “I really hoped that idiot would never darken my doorway again,” she said.

Her brain knew that it was a dig at much at herself and her childhood romance as it was at Daniel, but her heart was grateful for her mother’s support. She leaned her head into Cora’s shoulder, and felt her mother’s arm tighten around her waist. “Me too, Mother,” she said softly. “Me too.”                                                    


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel meets Robin Locksley.

Regina camped out for the morning at Granny’s, desperately needing coffee and hash browns to recover from the previous night’s barbecue. She settled into a booth in the far corner where she could watch the Sunday morning crowd without being interrupted. Granny’s was cozy, she had to admit that. The smell of coffee and comfort food lingered in the air, accompanied by the same ‘70s music that the ancient jukebox had been churning out since she was a little girl. Ruby brought over her latte and breakfast, stopping on the way back to the counter to chat with the regulars at their tables. People _belonged_ here, Regina thought wistfully. They had their little routines and daily rituals, and she was a voyeur peeping in on their lives. It was odd, sitting back here in the corner, watching the life that she could have had if things had worked out differently. She took another sip of coffee and dug her iPad out of her black leather bag. Might as well be productive if she was going to take up precious booth space. She leaned further back into the scratched vinyl and opened up her email.

She was halfway through a lease renewal when he slid into the booth across from her. She looked up, expecting to see Mary Margaret or Kathryn, but she was greeted by blue eyes and dimples, and a fresh latte being pushed across the table. Robin Locksley.

“So, Ms. Mills,” he said as he stirred sugar and cream into his own coffee. “I have been dying to ask. When exactly did you see someone milking a cow?”

Regina laughed. “In college. My boyfriend was studying to be a large animal vet, and on one of my weekend trips up to see him, he took me out to a small dairy farm so that I could see where he was spending his days.”

Robin furrowed his brow. “Milking a cow is hardly what I’d call romantic.”

“That wasn’t even the worst of it. The whole reason we went out there was to see a calf being born, and I have to tell you…cow gynecology is not my idea of a good time.”

He grimaced as he pushed the pitcher of cream away.  “Not impressed by the miracle of life, were you?”

“Let’s just say that the only thing miraculous about it was how effective it was at birth control. You know that scene in Alien where the thing bursts out of that guy’s chest? That’s nothing compared to watching a cow being born.” She shuddered at the memory of Daniel’s arm elbow-deep inside a cow. That weekend had been the only trip to Vermont that she and Daniel had not had sex. Not surprisingly, it was also the last time she’d ever been able to enjoy a cheeseburger.

“Well, I can assure you that babies being born isn’t quite so gruesome.”

“Oh, I know that now,” Regina smiled. “I was with my cousin when she had her son, Henry. It was nowhere near as traumatic. No giant hooves poking out of places where they shouldn’t be.”

“All right, then,” he said, leaning forward as he rested his elbows on the table. “You’ve answered one of my questions, and given me a visual that I won’t soon forget. Now for the next – who are Daniel and the Wicked Bitch, and how did that nickname come into being?”

Regina was a bit taken aback at the question. He really had been paying attention yesterday. “Wow, I didn’t expect to be playing twenty questions this early in the morning. When do I get to ask you something?”

He nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. “Turnabout is fair play. All right then, milady. Ask me anything.”

“How do you know that babies being born isn’t quite so gruesome?”

Robin pulled his phone out of the pocket of his leather jacket and starting scrolling through his pictures. “That’s how,” he said, holding up the phone to show a photo of a small boy with a mop of brown curls and his father’s dimples. “That’s my son, Roland.”

Regina smiled. “He’s adorable. Love the dimples.”

“Yes, he’s quite the charmer, just like his father.” He grinned at her and she shook her head, trying not to smile. “He lives with his mother in Bethesda, but I’ll have him next weekend.” He took the phone from Regina and pushed it back into his pocket.

“So you and his mother aren’t together?” Regina hadn’t intended to ask such a personal question, but something about the easy way that he spoke made her forget that he was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger.  She was surrounded by men all day at work, but they didn’t so much converse with Regina as talk over her or argue with her. Bless Cora Mills for teaching Regina from an early age to not let anyone steamroll over her just because she was a girl. The lesson had come in handy in her career, and she could go toe-to-toe with anyone and usually come out the winner. But this…this was different. Robin wasn’t trying to get something from her, and he wasn’t joking with her like she was one of the boys in the glorified frat party that was their office. No, Robin was talking to her because he genuinely seemed interested in what she had to say. And frankly, she couldn’t remember the last time that had happened, so she was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

“His mother and I?” Robin shot her a pointed look. “That’s another question. I believe it’s my turn. Daniel and the Wicked Bitch.”

She sighed. “Are you sure you don’t want to start with something easier? Ask me to recite state capitals, or tell you about my worst childhood memory?”

He laughed at the look of dismay on her face. “You don’t have to answer, you know. You can certainly tell me to take my coffee and pound sand.” He reached over to pick up his half-empty mug, raising an eyebrow and half-lifting himself out of the booth to see if she’d take him up on his challenge.

“No, no. You can stay. Telling clients to pound sand is bad for business anyway.” She took a breath. It served her right for asking personal questions. “Daniel was my boyfriend in high school and college, the one who introduced me to the reproductive cycle of the cow and made me a vegetarian for three years. The Wicked Bitch is his wife, Zelena. She went to school with us here as well. We…well, we never got along.” Understatement. Even in kindergarten, Zelena would cheerfully have set Regina on fire if she’d had the chance.

“Ah,” he said. “Well, a man whose idea of romance is farm animals is hardly a catch. I’d say you got lucky that he married someone else, Regina.”

“You’re not the only one to say that,” she replied with a smile. “It’s a popular opinion around here. Now, my question. Tell me about Roland’s mother.”

“Her name is Marian. We met when she was in DC for a conference and started a long-distance relationship. She moved here right before we got married, and we found out Roland was on the way two months later. As it turned out, we were much better when we were long distance.” He shrugged. “Once we lived together, it became somewhat painfully obvious that we weren’t well suited.” He finished off the coffee and fiddled with the handle on his now-empty mug. “We split up when Roland was a year old.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Regina said softly. “That couldn’t have been easy for any of you.” Her heart went out to the little boy with the dimples. And, to be honest, to his father as well.

Robin leaned back in the booth, still moving his mug back and forth with one hand. “She’s happier where she is now, and I get to see Roland whenever I wish. All things considered, it’s not the worst way to end a relationship.”

“No, I suppose not.” She reached out and rested a hand on his arm, patting the sleeve of his jacket awkwardly. He laid a hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“No need for pity, Regina. I have no quarrel with my life now.”

She moved to pull her hand back. For a split second, his grip tightened as though he didn’t want to let go. His fingers loosened after a beat, and Regina tucked both her hands back in her lap. “Fair enough,” she replied. “Your turn.”

He tapped his fingers on the table, mulling over his next question carefully. “Let’s move on to a lighter topic. What’s your nickname?”

“My nickname?” she asked, surprised.

“Of course. You said everyone has a nickname. So what’s yours?”

“Rose Red. Mostly.” Regina smiled softly. “Mary Margaret – my other cousin – was a fan of fairy tales when she was a little girl. She decided she wanted to be Snow White when she grew up, with dwarves and chirping birds and a prince to rescue her. So she gave us all fairy tale nicknames to go with her own.”

“I don’t believe I know Rose Red,” he said, and Regina cocked an eyebrow at him. “Wasn’t a question, merely a statement. Go on.”

“Well, there are two Snow Whites. One is the Disney Snow White with the dwarves. The other is from a different story, and she has a sister named Rose Red. The two of them save a bear from an enchantment. Snow White marries the prince, and Rose Red marries his brother. Mary Margaret loved the idea that we’d all wind up living happily ever after together.” For a while, it seemed that it would work out that way – Regina with Daniel, and Mary Margaret with Daniel’s cousin David, everyone living happily ever after in Storybrooke. Life had been so much simpler when they were kids.

“And is she the one with the son, then? Mary Margaret?”

“That’s another question, but I’ll let it slide. No, Mary Margaret’s twin sister Emma is Henry’s mother.” Regina looked up as the door to Granny’s swung open and Henry came charging in, eyes darting around the crowded dining room. “Speak of the devil,” she said. Henry finally spotted her and dropped into the booth next to her. He reached for the hash brown remnants on Regina’s plate.

“Mom says she has to do her homework, so you’re on duty. Can we get some more of these?” He shoved the last bit of potato in his mouth. Once the food was gone, he realized that Regina wasn’t alone. “Hi,” he said though a mouthful of cold hashbrowns. “Who are you?”

“He’s someone who knows not to talk with his mouth full,” Regina said darkly. “Henry, this is Robin Locksley, one of my clients. Robin, this is Henry.”

“Why is there a client here? Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?” Henry shot a guilty glance at Robin. “No offense.”

"I am on vacation, and Robin isn't here to make me work. He's just being friendly." 

Henry nodded. "Friendly is good," he announced. His curiosity apparently satisfied on the matter of Regina's breakfast date, he tuned back to her and again pleaded for more hash browns. "Go ahead," she said, shoving him out of the booth. He loped to the counter and perched himself on the stool next to Leroy, eyeing his plateful of bacon enviously. 

"He's a good lad," Robin remarked. 

"He has his moments," Regina replied with a tender smile. "He takes after his mother. Totally fearless. And not so good at thinking before he speaks."

Henry leaned back over the counter and asked for money for the jukebox. Regina reached for her wallet, but Robin stilled her with a hand to her arm. "Allow me," he said, and he slid out of the booth to join Henry at the jukebox. The two leaned on the glass, poring over the selections that hadn’t changed since Ruby’s grandmother had bought the jukebox in the early 80s. Henry punched in a number, and turned back to Regina with a smile.

Oh, dear Jesus. He’d just picked _More Than a Feeling_. Daniel had played this song for her at least once a week their senior year in high school, and once the first notes of the song started playing, he would pull her back into the hallway and kiss her senselessly. No matter how hard she was trying to leave the past in the past, it seemed to be doing a bang-up job of plopping itself right down in the present. She rested her forehead in her hands, cursing Ruth Nolan once again for not being able to walk down the street.

“Well, that’s a song I haven’t heard in a while,” came a voice just over her shoulder. Her head whipped up so quickly that it almost smacked Daniel right in the nose. He straightened and eyed the empty seat across from Regina.

“Daniel,” she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Where’s your family?”

“Zelena took the girls shopping. Mind if I join you?” He was halfway in the booth before Regina could stop him.

“Actually,” she said, gesturing toward Robin and Henry, “I’ve already got company. Company with questionable taste in music.”

Daniel followed Regina’s hand, surveying Robin and Henry slowly. His eyes hardened. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t realize that you were with someone.”

 _With someone_. Regina knew full well what he was inferring. Technically, she hadn’t been with someone in years, but Daniel certainly didn’t need to know that. Why not let him squirm a bit for a change?  She smiled brightly. “Sorry,” she said, her voice dripping with insincerity. “Maybe another time.”

Daniel stood just as Robin reached the table. “This is Henry’s pick,” Robin said with a smile. “The next one is mine.” Robin’s eyes flicked over Daniel, and he cast a curious glance at Regina. She supposed that good manners dictated that she introduce the two.

“Robin, this is Daniel Trotter, an old friend of mine. Daniel, this is Robin Locksley.”

The two men shook hands, still mentally sizing each other up. And not even remotely subtly, Regina thought, enjoying watching Robin and Daniel peacocking in front of her. “Pleasure,” Robin said coolly. “I’ve heard a few stories about you from Regina.”

Daniel’s chest puffed a bit, and Regina had to force herself to keep from groaning at how obviously he was enjoying the fact that they’d been talking about him. “I’m surprised we didn’t see you at the barbecue last night,” he said.

“Robin is setting up a new distribution center for the Northern Virginia Food Bank,” Regina cut in smoothly. “It’s been keeping him pretty busy.” Robin shot her a quick look, and she stared back at him wide-eyed, silently begging him to not say anything that would make Daniel realize that Robin was not, in fact, her date to the wedding. She’d pay for this one later on, she knew, but for now she was more than happy to let Daniel think what he wanted. Robin turned back to Daniel with a smile. “Indeed it has,” he agreed, and Regina breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Well,” Daniel said, looking back and forth between Robin and Regina, his lips pursed in disapproval, “I should go meet up with Zelena and the girls. It was nice to meet you, Robin. I’m sure I’ll see more of you later in the week.” And with that, he was gone.

Robin eased himself back into the booth. “Mind telling me what that was?”

“Oh, God,” Regina sighed, burying her face in her hands. “I’m sorry about that,” she mumbled through her fingers. She couldn’t believe she had just done that – just invented a relationship with a man she had known for a day, just to knock Daniel off his game. And now her imaginary boyfriend sat across from her, probably both confused and more than a little bit put out at being cast in the middle of her little drama. She peeked at him through her fingers. He didn’t look angry, but confused? Definitely. He reached out and pulled a hand away from her face. “Regina?” he asked softly.

“So, that was Daniel,” she said, dropping her other hand back to the table. “His cousin is marrying Mary Margaret this Saturday. That’s why we’re all here.”

“Ah, that explains the barbecue last night,” he said, and she nodded. “My parents threw a welcome-home party last night for the family,” she explained.

“And you were expected to bring a date?” he asked.

A laugh escaped her before she could stop it. “Expected to bring a date? Hardly. I think my mother would have died of shock if I had.”

“Then why…” Robin’s voice trailed off. “Forget it,” he said firmly. “It’s none of my business.”

“I just sort of made it your business, didn’t I? I’m sorry, Robin. It’s just- He makes me feel pathetic.”

“Regina,” Robin said firmly, reaching across the table to grasp one of her hands in his, “you are hardly pathetic. I don’t know you very well, but I do know that you’re quite the force to be reckoned with.”

She smiled, grateful for the warmth in his voice and the heat in his touch. “I have a hard time remembering that when I come home. Thank you. And thank you for not telling Daniel that I’m an idiot. He’ll figure that one out on his own soon enough.”

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, fishing out a business card. “Well,” he said as he slid the card across the table to her, “if you’d like to put that off for a bit longer, I’d be happy to escort you to further family events. I’m in town, and I enjoy your company, and if there’s an open bar, it sounds like it could be a win all around.” He winked at her, and she could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks.

She picked up the card, tapping the edge of it with her index finger. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, a smile spreading slowly across her face.

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened with Daniel.

 

The water in Kathryn’s pool was a bit too cold for Regina’s taste, so she’d settled for perching at the edge and dipping her feet in. Henry and Kathryn’s son Owen clearly had no problems with the water temperature. They were trying to outdo each other in a makeshift diving competition for the adults. Emma and Mary Margaret sat side by side in lounge chairs, Emma keeping a close eye on Henry and Mary Margaret keeping a close eye on her drink. It wasn’t rowdy as far as bachelorette parties went, but it was a beautiful mid-June afternoon, and Regina was finally relaxing for the first time since coming home three days ago.

Frederick strolled over with a full pitcher of margaritas, relishing his role as honorary bartender.  “My love,” he said as he refilled Kathryn’s glass. He topped off Regina’s as well, with a curt, “My nemesis.”

“Back to the kitchen, serf,” she said with a wave of her hand. He laughed and ruffled Regina’s hair. “Every time you come to visit, it reminds me of how much I can’t wait to see you leave.” He leaned down and pressed a brotherly kiss to Regina’s forehead. “Holler if you need anything else.”

Regina slowly kicked her legs back and forth in the water, enjoying the small waves rippling against her calves. “It’s a great set-up you have here,” she told her friend.

Kathryn lifted her sunglasses. “You mean the pool, or the bartender?” she asked.

“Both,” Regina laughed. Kathryn’s backyard was expansive and immaculate with perfectly mowed grass, a swingset in the corner for Owen and a vegetable plot by the backdoor for fresh summer vegetables and herbs. She could hear summer birds chirping contentedly among the shouts of laughter from the boys. “This is nice,” she said, and added after a pause, “it’s perfect, actually.” She sipped her margarita – perfectly blended, sweet and tart and delicious – and lifted her face toward the sun.

“Nothing’s perfect, Regina,” Kathryn said gently. She studied her oldest friend, and Regina could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. Kathryn wanted to talk about Daniel, about what happened fourteen years ago and how it was coming back to the surface now that they were all back in town. Regina wasn’t sure if she was ready to have that conversation.

“I did something,” she said abruptly. “Something stupid.” She studied her margarita glass, looking for some sort of sign in the icy sworls that she wasn’t a complete idiot, but she knew that sign wasn’t likely to appear. In fact, the only sign the glass seemed to be giving _was drink me and forget what a colossal idiot you are_. She obliged.

“Go on,” Kathryn prodded.

“I met someone. A client actually, at Granny’s the other day. And yesterday he came over while I was having breakfast, and we started talking, and now Daniel thinks he’s my date to the wedding.”

Kathryn choked on her margarita, sending ice chunks and strawberry-flavored tequila flying. Regina pounded her back while she coughed, trying to inconspicuously wipe off the margarita from her cheeks. “The hell?” Kathryn asked once she was able to breathe again.

“It was an accident. I think. We were talking, and then Daniel came over and saw us together, and I said I was with him, and Daniel assumed it meant that I was…well, _with_ him.”

Kathryn’s eyes narrowed. “And you didn’t correct him.

Regina shook her head. “No.  No, I didn’t. And Robin didn’t either.”

“Robin?” Kathryn asked.

“ROBIN,” Ruby shouted from her pool float. “The hot British guy.”

“The hot British guy,” Kathryn said slowly. “Okay, let’s back up. Who is the hot British guy?”

Regina gave Kathryn the highlights of her brief history with Robin, with Ruby piping in her own commentary whenever she thought Regina wasn’t being thorough. Kathryn’s eyes grew wider and wider throughout the story until Regina certain that her eyeballs would pop out and she’d have to go into the pool to retrieve them. She finished with Robin giving her his business card.

“Wow,” Kathryn said. She took a long swig of her margarita. “That’s quite a story.”

“Yep.” Regina kicked one of her legs, watching the spray of the water arc into the summer air.

“So here’s my question. Why is it so important for Daniel to think that you have a date to the wedding?”

Regina took a deep breath. She’d been asking herself the same question, but the answers she came up with sounded pathetic, even to herself. “I don’t know. I just thought it would be nice to win for once. I just couldn’t stand the way they were looking at me, like I was some sort of charity case because I live with Emma and her son. Like I’m worthless because I don’t even have a family of my own.” She hated herself for saying it out loud.

“You’re not pathetic, first of all. And secondly, whose expectations are you trying to live up to? Daniel’s, or Zelena’s?”

Regina wrinkled her nose. “Both,” she admitted.

“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Kathryn scoffed. “Zelena is a hideous troll, so her opinion doesn’t matter. And Daniel – he’s the one who dumped you while you were in the hospital.”

The hospital. Regina would never forget waking up in the hospital, her mother sitting by her bedside. She’d been home for summer for all of three days, hiding in her room the entire time. She was panicked about telling her parents that she was three months pregnant, that she was leaving UVA before the start of her senior year, and that she and Daniel were going to get married. She’d planned to tell them at dinner, but while she was slicing cucumbers for the salad she’d been hit by a gut-wrenching stab of pain that left her in a heap on the floor, sobbing for her mother to help her. The next thing she knew, she was in the hospital bed with her mother holding her hand. An ectopic pregnancy, Cora had told her. Her fallopian tube had burst, and she’d had emergency surgery to remove the embryo and the tube. Cora had stroked her hand while she cried, never once showing the anger and disapproval that Regina knew she’d felt. On the worst day of her life, she remembered how gentle and loving her mother had been, and that had been the only thing to get her through.

Cora had called Daniel while Regina was in surgery (against her better judgment, Regina was sure), and he had arrived looking haggard the next morning. She’d turned to him for comfort and love and reassurance, but he’d sat at the very edge of her bed, hands folded in his lap, barely able to meet her eyes. He’d said that maybe it was for the best, that they were too young to get married and have a baby. He’d said that what they needed was some time to really think about what they wanted. He was only staying for a few hours, and then he’d drive back up to Vermont to finish his summer classes. Once summer school was done, they’d talk about what the future held for them. The next time she’d seen him was at the end-of-summer barbecue in Storybrooke, where he’d come strolling in arm-in-arm with Zelena. She hadn’t even known he was going to be there, and as soon as she saw them, she’d bolted back to her parents’ house on Mifflin Street. Kathryn had shown up an hour later with a case of beer, and she told Regina that Zelena had been all smiles and cooing devotion, telling anyone who would listen that they’d connected at a weekend party in Burlington that her roommate at Middlebury had dragged her to, and suddenly they had so much to talk about, and wasn’t it wonderful that things happened this way?

The pain of the miscarriage and recovery from surgery was nothing compared to the pain of Daniel’s betrayal. Regina had packed up the next day and headed back to Charlottesville, moving into her apartment a week early. That was the last time she’d seen Daniel or Zelena and the last time she’d spent more than two nights in Storybrooke.

Kathryn’s voice cut through the haze of unpleasant memories. “Have you ever talked to him about what happened?” she asked.

“No, not since that weekend.”

“Maybe you should. It might make you feel better.”

Regina snorted. Might make her feel better, her ass. She’d been looking for a way to feel better for fourteen years, but nothing was going to erase the memory of what happened. She couldn’t think of anything Daniel could say that would ease the pain of waking up to find him in her hospital room and hearing him tell her that they needed some time apart. “I can’t imagine anything he’d say that would make me feel better, unless it was that Zelena put some sort of gypsy hoodoo curse on him to make him fall in love with her. And even then, I’m pretty sure he would have deserved it.”

Kathryn chewed on her lip, obviously looking for the right thing to say. “I just wish you weren’t still carrying all this with you fourteen years later.”

Regina swirled the remnants of her margarita in her glass. “So do I, my friend. So do I.” She drained her drink and set it down by the edge of the pool. “But this week isn’t about me, so let’s drop it, okay?”

***

Regina would have been perfectly happy to enjoy the late afternoon by the pool and call it a day, but unfortunately, the bachelorette party had fallen under Ruby’s job description as bridesmaid. Actually, it was Ruby’s only job description as bridesmaid, and she had every intention of doing it right. Ruby called a break in the festivities at about 5pm and insisted that the ladies all go home and change into something more “appropriate.” Mary Margaret caught the look of horror on Regina’s face and assured her that appropriate meant appropriate for the Rabbit Hole, the lone bar in Storybrooke.  Given what Ruby might have come up with if she’d had all of DC to work with, Regina thanked her lucky stars that they were staying in town. Of course, that was mostly because Ruby didn’t want to be the designated driver, but Regina would take what she could get.

Emma drove them home in Regina’s car since she’d been on Mom duty all day at the pool and had only finished the one drink. She deposited Henry into his room with a supply of comic books and Regina's iPad, then strolled into Regina’s room, laughing when she found Regina studying the contents of her drawers with a frown. “Didn’t bring much for the Rabbit Hole, did you?” she asked, and flung a pair of jeans at Regina. Regina caught them with one hand and held them up. “These?” she asked in disbelief, staring at Emma’s too-tight jeans. “These jeans are not appropriate for a woman with a ten-year-old.”

“It’s a good thing you don’t have one, then.” Emma said with a gleam in her eye. “Put them on. You’re having fun tonight, whether you like it or not.”

 _Fun_ , Regina mused. She could do with a little bit of fun. She dug through her drawer and pulled out a deep purple blouse with a plunging neckline. She was a single woman, after all. No reason not to dress the part. Her favorite boots hit the floor with a thud, carelessly tossed in by Emma, and she pulled them on over the snug-fitting jeans.

***

Frederick dropped them off at Granny’s at seven on the nose to meet Ruby, who – surprise, surprise – was late. They stood in the courtyard of the diner, Emma and Mary Margaret arm-in-arm and speaking in hushed tones and Kathryn playfully butting Regina’s shoulder with her own as she teased her about her getting-lucky getup. Regina pushed back against Kathryn, reminding her that the odds of getting lucky in Storybrooke were next to nil.

So, naturally, that’s when Robin Locksley chose to stroll out of the diner, a take-out box in his hand. He did a double-take at seeing the women on the patio and made a beeline for Regina.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” he said with a smile, and at the first sound of his British accent, Kathryn poked her in the ribs. Regina brushed her hand away and turned toward Robin, trying to maintain a cool façade.

“Mr. Locksley,” she said with a smile, “is this the only place you know in our quaint little town?”

Robin gestured with the hand holding the take-out container. “Not at all,” he answered, “but it’s a long enough drive back to Alexandria that I wanted a bite to eat before I left.”

“You can’t go back now,” Kathryn interrupted. “The night is young, and we’re just getting started. And you wouldn’t want to leave four women alone at the mercy of the night, would you?”

Regina closed her eyes, willing the ground to open up and swallow Kathryn whole. No such luck. When she opened her eyes, Robin was studying her thoughtfully. “I think you can take care of yourselves,” he said coolly. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

She felt a pang of guilt at the coldness of his tone. Truthfully, she wouldn’t say no to the ego boost he provided, and having him join them for a drink would do wonders for getting Kathryn off her back. “You wouldn’t be intruding,” she said, “unless we’d be getting in the way of your plans. But we’d love to have you escort us to the bar.”

He smiled at her, and she could feel the warmth of his smile radiating through her belly. “In that case,” he said, “what kind of gentleman would I be if I refused?” He held out an arm to her just as Ruby came charging through the door of the diner, and she allowed him to lead her down the streets of Storybrooke to the bar.


	6. Chapter 6

If ever a place were aptly named, it was the Rabbit Hole. Truly a hole-in-the-wall bar, it was the kind of joint that the patrons fell into when they wanted to disappear from reality for a night. Regina wrinkled her nose as they walked in, immediately assaulted by the smell of stale beer and musty air. It figured that Ruby would pick this place. Then again, it’s not like she had much of a choice; the watering holes in Storybrooke were pretty much limited to Granny’s and this dump.

Ruby strolled in like she owned the place, dumping her bag on the nearest table. “Ashley and Belle will be here soon, but let’s get this party started!” She turned to the bar, but Robin stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“The first round is on me. I insist,” he said, and Ruby didn’t bother to argue. “Shots!” she yelled.

“Shots?” Mary Margaret asked, her eyes widening.

“Shots,” Emma agreed with a firm nod.

“Shit,” Regina muttered under her breath. Robin laughed beside her and rubbed her back gently. “Shots it is,” he said and strolled over to the bar.

“He is hot,” Emma whispered to Regina, eyeing Robin. Regina followed Emma’s gaze, studying Robin’s backside as he leaned over the bar to talk to the sullen bartender. Nice ass, for sure. Her cheeks flushed and she tried to push the thought from her mind.

“He’s a client,” she said firmly.

“Not anymore, he’s not. The deal is done, right? So maybe you should, you know, do the _deal_.”

“Oh for God’s sake, Emma,” Regina snapped, and the blonde hooted with laughter. Emma slapped her lightly on the rear and told her that she’d given her those jeans for a reason, so she might as well make the most of them.

Robin turned and caught Regina’s eye, and she prayed to whatever deity happened to be listening that he hadn’t just seen her checking out his ass. He gestured to the drinks lined up at the bar, and she led their little group up to the bar. He handed her a shot glass filled with clear liquid. “I ordered this shot especially for you, Ms. Mills. If you don’t like it, I’ll be happy to fetch you another.”

“To Snow White finding her Prince Charming!” Ruby said and lifted her glass. The rest of the group followed suit and toasted with a satisfying clink. Regina caught a whiff of vodka as the glasses met and her stomach dropped. This was going to be a long night. She took a deep breath and bolted the shot in one gulp.

 _Water_. Bless Robin Locksley for a saint. She could have kissed him right there on the spot. She smiled up at him, and his eyes crinkled as he returned her smile. He leaned into her and whispered into her ear, “I hope you know that this means you owe me a drink.” She laughed and nodded, agreeing that it was a fair trade.

“The next round’s mine,” Kathryn said. Ruby opened her mouth, but Regina cut in before she could say anything. “No shots,” she insisted. “Someone has to make sure the party doesn’t end at nine o’clock with us all passed out on the bar.” Ruby muttered something that sounded suspiciously like _killjoy_ , but Mary Margaret smiled gratefully at her. It was an old, ingrained habit, watching out for Mary Margaret and Emma.

The bartender lined up the next round – a Long Island Iced Tea for Ruby (of course), margaritas for Mary Margaret and Kathryn, and microbrews for Emma and Regina. The women took their drinks and returned to their table, but Regina hung back with Robin.

“A beer drinker,” he said appreciatively. “I did not expect that.”

“I work with men all day, every day. I play golf, know the ins and outs of football, and drink good beer and whiskey. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t survive.”

He raised his glass. “Well then, here’s to surviving.” She met her glass with his. “Cheers,” she said. She sipped her beer, her gaze never leaving his.

A shout from the table behind them broke the mood. Regina looked over her shoulder and saw Ruby doubled over laughing, Kathryn shaking her head, and Emma looking horrified. She turned back to her companion. “You don’t have to stay, you know. This is only going to get worse from here on out.”

He looked down at his full pint glass. “May I at least finish my drink first?”

Regina flushed. “I’m not trying to chase you away. It’s just – this can’t be that much fun with you, being the lone man in the middle of a bachelorette party. And the longer you stay, the greater the odds are that Ruby is going to try to make out with you. So don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Robin cocked an eyebrow and looked back at the table. He turned back to her and gave her a slow once-over that left her struggling to keep her breathing even. “I’m in no danger of making out with Ruby, I can assure you,” he said softly.

There it was again, that flirtatious tone. Heat spread through her belly, a heat that had nothing to do with the beer in her hand. She shifted her weight between her feet, not sure how to respond.

Robin’s phone rang, effectively killing the moment. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned at the display. “Hold that thought,” he said. “I’ll be right back.” She sipped her beer as he walked away and turned back to the table.

Shit. Their party had grown while she wasn’t paying attention. It wasn’t just Belle and Ashley, oh no; it was David and his entire crew of cronies. And Daniel was staring at her. She turned her back to him. _You just can’t catch a break, Regina_ , she said to herself. She closed her eyes as she heard his footsteps approaching.

“I didn’t know you were allowed to bring a date to a bachelorette party,” he said as he rested his arms on the bar.

“Well, someone has to protect us from Ruby,” she joked.

Daniel laughed as he nodded in agreement. “She already told us we’re behind and we owe her shots. It’s going to be a long night.” He waved to catch the bartender’s attention, getting a nod and a gesture to wait in return. He fiddled with a coaster and Regina watched the cardboard shift back and forth on the bar, wondering how impolite it would be if she just walked away.

“I was hoping we could talk,” he said finally, and Regina’s stomach dropped. Talking was the last thing she wanted to do. “I’d like to clear the air between us.”

Ironic that he wanted to clear the air in a place that stank of sweat and cheap booze. Regina took a gulp of her beer, suddenly regretting not having that shot earlier. “What’s there to say? What’s past is past,” she said, attempting to sound casual.

Daniel studied her face. “I owe you an apology. And maybe an explanation. Both long overdue.”

She couldn’t believe they were having this conversation now, in this dump. “The statute of limitations on both the apology and explanation have expired,” she said, “so maybe we should just let it go and enjoy the party.” She picked up her glass and turned to go back to the table.

“Maybe so,” he said, “but since you wouldn’t listen to me before, I thought you might give me a chance now.”

Before? There had been no before. They’d had the stilted conversation in the hospital and that was it. “What are you talking about?” she asked, completely dumbfounded.

“When I came to talk to you in Arlington,” he said. “Emma told me you wouldn’t see me.”

She looked back at the table. Emma was teasing David with her drink, completely oblivious to the conversation that was happening at the bar. “No,” Regina said. “No, you never came to see me in Arlington.”

“I did, Regina,” he said gently. “I came before Zelena and I got married.”

Regina shook her head, trying desperately to clear the roaring in her ears. “I didn’t know,” she said hoarsely. “Emma never told me you came.” She closed her eyes. How could Emma not have told her? How could she have _done_ that?

Daniel leaned into her, his hand coming to rest on her hip. “I’m sorry, Regina. I should have pushed her more. I should have tried harder.”

She fought the urge to lean into him. It would feel so good, to have his arms around her again. To hear him tell her how sorry he was for leaving her like that, for making her doubt herself and every relationship that came after. To finally get an explanation as to how he could have picked Zelena – Zelena, of all people, that hideous bitch – over her. To finally know that some part of him regretted how they’d left things.

She knew she couldn’t do that. Regardless of what he said, it didn’t change the fact that he was married to Zelena with two children, and she wasn’t going to get in the middle of that. No matter how badly a part of her, the part that had never stopped loving him and never stopped wondering what went wrong, desperately wanted him to find the words to make it all be ok. She pushed his hand away and stepped back. “It doesn’t matter now,” she said.

“Hey,” came Emma’s voice from behind her. “You guys might have missed it, but we’re having a party over here.”

Regina whipped around, coming face to face with Emma. “I can’t believe you did that,” she hissed.

Emma’s eyes widened. “Did what?” she asked, confused. Regina jerked her head toward Daniel. “Came to see me in Arlington? And you never thought to mention it to me?”

“Regina, I’m sorry,” Emma started. She reached for Regina’s hand, trying to pull her away from Daniel. “I just thought-“

“You thought? No, Emma, you didn’t think. You never do.” She yanked her hand from Emma’s grasp and stalked out of the bar. Emma shouted after her, but she held up a hand as she slammed out the door. Whatever Emma had to say, Regina was in no mood to hear it.

She stood on the sidewalk, gulping big breaths of sultry summer air and trying desperately to put a lid on her anger. Tonight was Mary Margaret’s night, and she didn’t want resurrected drama from over a decade ago to overshadow her happiness. She tried with all her might to steel her nerves and slip back into her mask of perfection, to find a way to go back into the bar and pretend that nothing had happened. Tried, and failed. Her hands balled into fists at her side. The door opened behind her, and she turned on her heel, hoping that it was Emma so that she could unleash her anger in one fell swoop.

It wasn’t Emma. It was Robin. “What the hell happened in there?” he asked, concern written on his face.

She shook out her hands, trying to regain some measure of composure. “Nothing,” she said through clenched teeth.

He hesitated, trying desperately to figure out some way of diffusing the tension radiating off of her in waves. “It’s not nothing,” he said.

She wrapped her arms around her waist. “No, it’s not nothing,” she agreed. “But I don’t want to talk about it. Not right now.”

“Then don’t. But let me take you home, at least.”

 _Home_. Regina desperately wanted to go home, to curl up in her own bed in her own house and pretend that this night had never happened.  She couldn’t go home – the wedding was still four days away, and no matter how loudly every instinct she had in her body was screaming to run away, she had to put on a brave face and wear that damn pink dress.  She shivered in the summer air. “I don’t want to put you out,” she said to Robin.

“It’s a small town, Regina,” he said with a smile. “I can drop you off at your parents’ house and be on my way in all of five minutes.” She laughed. He had a point.

“My car is in front of the diner. Come on,” he said, and tucked her hand into his.

***

They sat in his car in silence, Regina studying the house where she’d grown up. White columns and black shutters, the perfect Colonial in the perfect town, built to house the perfect family. She was 34 years old and she still felt stifled by everything about Mifflin Street.

“You don’t have to go in, you know,” he said softly from the driver’s seat. “You didn’t even finish your beer. You can certainly hop in your car and head back to your home, wherever it is.”

“Arlington,” she said softly, “but I have to go in. I can’t ruin this for Mary Margaret.”

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “If she’s family, she’ll forgive you. That’s what families do, yeah?”

Did they? Regina wasn’t feeling particularly forgiving at the moment. She was thinking it would be incredibly satisfying to go back to her house in Arlington and light every single thing of Emma’s on fire. _That’s not an adult reaction_ , her mother’s voice echoed in her head.

“Regina?” Robin said softly.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Sorry to drag you into all of this. I should go.” She reached for the door handle, but he stopped her with a hand to her thigh.

“You have no need to apologize. And if you do decide you want to talk about it, I’ll be here through the weekend.”

She didn’t want to talk about it. Didn’t want this man, who only knew her as the capable Regina Mills who got them a fantastic set-up for their new space, to know what a mess she was on the inside. She yanked on the door handle, disentangling herself from his hand and pushing herself out of the car. “Thank you for the ride home. And…for everything.”

“Of course,” he said, and then as she closed the door, he added, “You still owe me that drink.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina gets an assist from Henry Sr.

Her father was coming out of the kitchen as she let herself into the house, and he looked at her with surprise. “You’re home already? I thought you girls were making a night of it.”

Regina sighed. “Bad night, Daddy. I cut out early.”

He reached out a hand to her and she took it gratefully. “Come on, sweetheart, I’ll make you a cup of hot chocolate,” he said, and led her into the kitchen.

It was a familiar ritual for Regina, coming home in tears to find her father waiting for her in the kitchen. He’d made her hot chocolate the first time she’d gotten a C on her report card, the first time she’d been thrown from a horse, and the night that she found out Zelena had been named valedictorian instead of her. The week after she’d been released from the hospital in college and couldn’t summon the energy to leave her room, he’d brought her up a mug every night and sat on her bed, talking about books, or golf, or old movies – anything to distract her from the thoughts spinning in her head. He measured the mix carefully (no store-bought envelopes in the Mills household, only homemade would do) and counted out exactly ten mini marshmallows.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked as he stirred hot water into the mug.

She chewed her lip. Talking about it made it real, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that. Her father slid the mug along the counter, and she wrapped her hands around it. “I don’t know,” she said. “It feels like everything I’ve buried is coming up to the surface, and I don’t want it to.” She blew on her cocoa to cool it off and weighed her words carefully. “I just wanted to pretend like none of it ever happened and get through the week.”

“But it did happen,” he said gently, “and you never dealt with it. You pushed it down where you wouldn’t have to look at it. Things that are buried always find a way to come back to the surface.”

Regina laughed. “And how,” she said shortly. “Daniel told me tonight that he came to see me before he married Zelena.”

Henry raised an eyebrow. “When did that happen? You never told me that.”

“I didn’t know. It must have happened when Emma moved in with me while she was pregnant with Henry. Apparently Emma told him that I wouldn’t talk to him. So I have no idea what he was going to say.”

“Would it have mattered?” he asked.

Regina raised her hands and slapped them on the counter.  “I don’t know, Daddy. Maybe. Maybe he would have said something that would have stopped me from blaming myself for all these years.”

Her father took a deep breath, a sign Regina recognized all too well. It meant that he was going to say something that she didn’t want to hear. “Regina, he came to talk to you five years after he broke up with you. Just a few months before he married someone else. No matter what he said, it wouldn’t have changed what he did. And what he did – honey, that’s what showed who he truly was.”

She didn’t want to believe that. Somewhere, deep down, she’d always held on to the hope that he’d regretted his actions that summer, that getting involved with Zelena was a mistake, that he still pined for her. That she wasn’t the only one who carried the weight of missed opportunities. “Well, it doesn’t matter,” she said bitterly. “Thanks to Emma, I’ll never know.”

“You can’t blame Emma for that,” he replied. “She was just trying to protect you. And if it had been me, I would have done the same thing. If he’d come near you that summer, your mother would have had him thrown in jail.” Of that, Regina had no doubt. “You’ve always tried to take care of everyone else, Regina. You shouldn’t be surprised when the people who love you want to return the favor.”

She sipped her cocoa slowly. “I know that. But I don’t want people to take care of me. I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not saying you can’t,” he said gently. “I’m just saying you don’t always have to. Don’t be too hard on Emma. She loves you, and so do I.”

She knew he was right, even though she wasn’t ready to forgive Emma just yet. “Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for listening.”

Her father squeezed her shoulders. “You don’t have to thank me, sweetheart. You’re my daughter. I would do anything for you.”

A thought popped into her head. “Anything?” she asked, and at his nod, she said, “Well, there is something you can do for me.”

“Name it,” he said, taking the now-empty mug from Regina’s hand and placing it in the sink. As an afterthought, he added, “As long as it doesn’t interfere with my golf game.”

***

She tucked herself into bed and reached for the phone and business card that were resting on the nightstand. She typed in the cell number and texted _It’s Regina. Thanks for bailing me out tonight – meet me at Granny’s at 8:30 tomorrow am so I can make it up to you?_

Robin’s reply came within minutes. _No need to make anything up – glad I could help. But I’ll see you at 8:30. Sleep well._

***

Despite Robin’s words, sleeping well wasn’t in the cards for Regina. She drifted in and out of consciousness, and 1am found her lying on her back, staring at the ceiling. A car pulled up outside and giggling and hushed voices broke the summer night’s silence. Emma was home. Regina shifted on her side and stared at the beam of light coming from the crack under her bedroom door. Sure enough, minutes later, she saw Emma’s feet pause in front of her door. The handle turned slightly, and Regina smiled when she heard Emma’s whispered _dammit_ at being locked out of Regina’s room.

Her smile faded when Emma started tapping softly on the door. “Regina? Are you awake?” Regina held her breath, afraid of giving herself away with even the slightest noise. “Regina, I’m sorry. I really am. Please open the door.”

A heavy silence settled on either side of the door. Emma’s voice finally broke the stillness. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just trying to protect you, like you’ve always done for me. I promised you I would make it up to you someday, remember? And I’ll make this up to you too.”

Regina’s breath escaped in a heavy sigh. “Go to bed, Emma,” she said softly, “We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

Emma’s fingers drummed against the door. “I love you, Regina. I really do.”

Tears pricked at Regina’s eyelids. “I love you too. Now go to bed.” Emma’s footsteps faded down the hallway, and Regina buried her face into her pillow, breathing deeply past the lump in her throat. She closed her eyes and saw seven-year-old Emma, wide eyes and trembling lower lip, promising her that someday, she’d find a way to repay her.  The image slowly faded from her mind as Regina finally fell into a deep sleep.

***

Robin was waiting at the counter with a cup of coffee for himself and a soy latte for Regina when she breezed in to the diner the next morning, arm-in-arm with her father. His smile brightened when he saw her and he held out the latte, which she accepted gratefully. “Well, it appears I’m one beverage short,” he said, cocking his head to her father and shooting her a questioning glance.

“Robin, this is my father, Henry Mills. Daddy, Robin Locksley. I told you last night, he’s setting up the food bank.” Henry extended his hand to the younger men and offered a _pleased to meet you_. Robin shook it warmly and returned the greeting.

“I hope your way of making it up to me, as you said, isn’t to press your poor father into volunteer service. We’re not quite set up for that yet,” Robin said to Regina, and she laughed. “Not exactly,” she replied. “My father owns the two grocery stores in town. I thought you and he might have a chat about how Millbrook Foods can be of service to the food bank.”

Robin’s eyes lit up. “In that case, Mr. Mills, Regina, breakfast is on me.” He held out an arm to one of the booths and placed a hand on Regina’s back to guide her to the table.

Regina sipped her latte and stepped back, “No, no. I’ll leave you two to discuss business. I have a few calls of my own to make.” She waved them to the booth and perched at the counter. Ruby strolled over and leaned her elbows on the counter in front of Regina.

“You missed quite the party last night,” she said.

“I know,” Regina sighed. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Ruby said slyly. “You left with the hot British guy last night and now you’re introducing him to your father this morning. Looks like whatever your party was, it was way better than ours.”

“Oh, shut up, Ruby,” Regina said crossly, and she shook her head as Ruby strolled back to the kitchen, hooting with laughter the entire way.

Robin’s conversation with her father lasted barely longer than it took for the two men to demolish the breakfast special (of course – Henry had a 10am tee time), and her father appeared at her elbow just as she was building up a good head of steam in an argument with Sidney Glass about free rent in one of her office buildings. She held up a finger to her father and snapped into the phone, “You and I both know the drill, Sidney. One month for every year on the lease. My client’s not going to change that, and your client isn’t a big enough name to even try to argue the point. So either sign the lease, or don’t.” She rolled her eyes as he said he’d think about it and snapped, “Fine. Let me know when you’re ready to make a decision,” and clicked the button to end the call.

“You definitely take after your mother,” Henry said, and Regina snorted. “I hate that guy,” she sighed. He laughed and replied that he could figure that out by himself.

“Robin, though,” Henry continued. “Robin, you like.”

Regina responded with what she hoped was a casual shrug. “He’s a likable person.”

“Yes, he is,” Henry nodded. “And he wants to say thank you, so why don’t you go over there? I’ve got to head out. Do you want me to wait for you and drop you off at home?”

She waved her father off, not wanting to interfere with his tee time. Robin looked up and smiled as she slid in the booth across from him, pushing the remnants of the lumberjack breakfast to the edge of the table for Ruby to pick up.

“You really know how to make it up to a person, you know that?” he asked, his blue eyes crinkling.  “Your father is an exceptionally generous man.”

“Yes, he is,” Regina agreed, “which is why I brought him instead of my mother. I hope you got something sorted out?”

“We did,” he nodded. “And now I feel that I owe _you_ thanks. I would be delighted if you’d allow me to take you to dinner to express my gratitude.”

She waved her hands. “No need to thank me. I’m glad to help.”

The warmth in his face dimmed a bit, and Regina mentally kicked herself. “I see,” he said, but he was not the type to give up so easily. “In that case, I’d be delighted to take you to dinner to _not_ express my gratitude.”

He was asking her on a date. Teenage Regina made a sudden appearance, bringing with her stomach butterflies and a flush of color to her cheeks. She grinned at him and answered, “As long as you promise not to take me _here_ , I think that can be arranged.” He laughed and swore solemnly upon his honor that he would find somewhere other than Granny’s. He rose from the booth and extended a hand to help her out of her seat.

“Now, Ms. Mills, I’m afraid I have to get back to work, but I’ll talk to you later in the day.” She nodded. “And Regina?” he said, and she looked up to meet his eyes.

“Thank you,” he said softly, and leaned in to kiss her cheek. He squeezed the hand he still held, then let it go. He nodded to her once more, and with a wave to Ruby, he was out the door and on his way.

Regina’s fingers moved idly to the spot where his lips had brushed her cheek. “I saw that, you know,” Ruby called out from the cash register. She dropped her hand and struggled to shove teenage Regina back into the dark corners of her mind. “Pipe down, Ruby, it was nothing,” she said shortly and walked brusquely out the door, ignoring the wolf whistle that followed her out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin takes Regina to dinner.

When she got back to the house, she found Emma sprawled on her bed, wading through one of her textbooks. “I should have locked the door,” Regina sighed, dropping her purse on the dresser.

“That only works from the inside, and besides, I know how to pick the lock,” Emma replied and slammed her textbook shut. She pulled herself into a sitting position and patted the bed. “Come on, talk.”

Regina kicked off her shoes and padded over to the bed, sitting gingerly on the edge as far away from Emma as she could. She stared down at her nails. She had promised Emma that they would talk in the morning, but now that they were in the same room, Regina had absolutely no idea what to say. Her temper was legendary, but she bit her lip to keep a tirade of angry words at bay, remembering her father’s words from the night before. She struggled to give Emma the benefit of the doubt.

Not successfully, it seemed. “You’re still mad,” Emma said, taking in Regina’s ramrod straight posture.

“Yes.”

“Do we need to find a new place to live?” Emma asked, worried.

“Not this time,” Regina answered. “But you do need to tell me what the hell you were thinking.”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. I opened the door, and there he was, and at the time the only thing I was thinking was hitting him over the head with a baseball bat. I knew you wouldn’t forgive me for that, so I had to come up with a Plan B on the fly. Telling him you didn’t want to see him was all I could come up with.” She scooted to the edge of the bed and settled next to Regina. “I was 17. At that point, all I made were bad decisions. I didn’t want you to do the same thing.”

“So you decided that I shouldn’t make any decision at all?”

“No! Regina-“ Emma paused, not sure what to say. “Did I mention that I was 17?”

“You were an idiot,” Regina countered.

“I was an idiot,” Emma agreed. “But you were dating Graham, and you seemed happy, and I didn’t want Daniel to ruin it for you.”

 _Graham_. Well, that had lasted all of sixty seconds. She’d dumped him the night of Daniel’s wedding and had barely thought of him since. Clearly they weren’t as happy as Emma had thought. “You still should have told me,” she said shortly.

“What would you have done, if it were me? If Neal showed up on our doorstep, begging for a chance to make things right? Would you have let him in after what he did?”

Regina’s lip curled at the mention of Neal’s name. That bastard had left Emma stranded in a hotel room in Virginia Beach the night that he’d found out that she was pregnant. “I would have eviscerated him,” she said, “but then I would have taped him back together and let you have a crack at him. I wouldn’t have just decided that I knew what you wanted.”

Emma sighed. “Again, I was 17. And I’m sorry, Regina. If I could go back and change it, I would. But I still think he’s a dick and I don’t want him anywhere near you.”

She couldn’t fault Emma for that. Regina patted Emma’s leg gingerly, still not quite able to meet her eyes. “I know. And I guess I should thank you for watching out for me. Just…don’t ever do it again. I don’t like to be blindsided.”

Emma crossed he heart solemnly. “Never again,” she swore.

Regina stood and walked over to the dresser. “Now get out of my room,” she said over her shoulder. “You have homework to finish, and we have a dress fitting at 4:00.” She pulled the UVM sweatshirt out of the drawer and tossed it to Emma. “And take this with you. Burn it.”

Emma caught it with one hand and held it up. “Gladly,” she said, her nose wrinkling. “And I’m going to salt the earth around it too.”

***

Regina was not easily moved, but the sight of Mary Margaret in her wedding dress was enough to bring tears to her eyes. The seamstress knelt at her hem, placing a few pins to mark the length, but otherwise, the effect was stunning. Mary Margaret looked every inch the fairy tale princess come to life.

“It’s not too much?” Mary Margaret asked, and Cora answered from the corner. “It’s perfect.”

Regina turned in surprise to her mother. Cora had one hand resting on her throat, and the look she was giving Mary Margaret was…well, it was positively maternal. Emma nudged Regina, and she gave the blonde a look that clearly said, _I know, I see it too_.

“You’re a beautiful bride, Mary Margaret. Your parents would be so proud,” Cora said with a hitch in her voice as she smoothed the feathered pleats on the ball gown. “Your uncle Henry and I are very proud too.”

“Ok, now I know I’m dreaming. Or high,” Emma whispered into Regina’s ear, and Regina shushed her. Moments like these, when they were nothing more than a happy family, were few and far between. Mary Margaret didn’t need Emma’s commentary ruining it. Even if she had a point.

“Now, Regina,” Cora said, turning to her daughter. “Where’s the clip I picked out for you? It will look lovely in your hair, but I do wish it were longer for this.”

There it was. The backhanded compliment, a Cora Blanchard Mills specialty. Regina sighed and held up the clip. “Right here, Mother,” she said, and Cora plucked the clip from her hand. She adjusted it in Regina’s hair, and said “There. Now you look beautiful too.” Cora cupped her hands around Regina’s face, and she basked in the rare glow of her mother’s love. “Stunning,” Cora said, “as a Blanchard should be.”

It didn’t escape Cora’s notice that Emma was backing slowly toward the corner of the dressing room, just out of Cora’s reach.  “Emma, stand up straight,” Cora snapped. “That dress will look terrible on you if you don’t keep proper posture.”

Emma shot Regina a look – _see how that is?_ her face clearly said.Regina laughed. “Shoulders back, Emma,” she said, “You don’t want to embarrass us.” Cora gave Regina a grateful smile, completely missing Emma shooting Regina a very sullen middle finger over her mother’s shoulder. Regina grinned at Emma. “That’s perfect. Just as a Blanchard should be,” she said. Cora turned back to look at Emma, and Emma smoothed her face into a sweet, innocent smile.  Once again, the three girls were ganging up on Cora, and she was none the wiser. Regina’s upper lip twitched. Emma and Mary Margaret had given her the one thing she’d wanted as a child – a buffer between herself and her mother’s endless pursuit of perfection. Even now, when her anger toward Emma was still raw and gnawing at her insides, she was grateful to have her nearby.

Regina’s ringtone broke the silence, and she dove for the phone lying on a stool in the dressing room. She was still waiting for Sidney to send over the signed lease (which he would, because nobody said no to Regina Mills) but the caller ID told her that it wasn’t Sidney. It was Robin Locksley.

“Regina,” he said softly when she answered the call, “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“It’s a welcome interruption,” she laughed. “I’m surrounded by pink satin and I’m ready to be done with it.”

“In that case,” he said, “I hope I can tempt you with dinner tonight. That is, if you don’t have family obligations.”

Regina backed out of the dressing room, hoping to escape notice (and failing miserably, if the twin pairs of green eyes watching her every move were any indication). “You’re in luck. Once I get out of this pink dress, I’m free for the evening.”

“Then I would be delighted to pick you up in an hour.”

“It’s a date,” she said and ended the call.

 _It’s a date._ And just like that, teenage Regina was back in full force.

***

Emma and Mary Margaret sat on her bed, vetoing wardrobe change after wardrobe change. Emma insisted that the snug jeans were the way to go (after all, they worked last night), but Mary Margaret thought something more understated was right choice. _No need to give away the milk for free_ , Mary Margaret had said, and Regina shuddered at the dairy metaphor. Enough of that, thank you very much.

“I don’t need your help,” Regina announced, her patience wearing thin. “I’m an adult, and I’m perfectly capable of choosing my own wardrobe.”

Mary Margaret and Emma rolled their eyes in unison, clearly not believing her. “Maybe not so professional,” Mary Margaret said as Regina held up a white button-down and black slacks. “Or boring,” Emma added.

“Fine,” Regina snapped. “Get me the blue dress.” Emma shoved herself off the bed, calling over her shoulder for Mary Margaret to dig Regina’s black stiletto heels  out of the closet. “And get her some decent underwear, for God’s sake.” Regina buried her head in her hands. What had possessed her to tell these two about her night out with Robin? She would be paying for this one for weeks to come, she was sure of it.

Mary Margaret rummaged through her top drawer. “Oh, come on. I do not need decent underwear,” Regina snapped.

“White cotton is not acceptable,” Mary Margaret replied, dangling red lace from her fingertip. “Put it on.”

“This isn’t my first date,” Regina grumbled, snatching the scrap of red lace (why had she packed that?) from Mary Margaret’s hand and burying it back in her drawer.

“Maybe not,” Mary Margaret replied, “but it’s the first date you’ve had in like twenty years that we’ve all agreed on.”

Great. Her love life was now open to committee vote. How had that happened?

“You need to get out now,” Regina said, pushing Mary Margaret out of her room and grabbing the blue dress from Emma’s outstretched hand. “Both of you. No longer welcome.”

She slammed the door and turned the lock, studying the blue dress on the hanger and weighing her options. Without Mary Margaret and Emma’s prying eyes watching her every move, Regina dug through the top drawer to find the matching bra to the red lace panties. Perhaps the night called for red lace after all.

***

Emma and Mary Margaret sat perched on high alert in the living room, waiting for the sound of approaching footsteps. Unwilling to fall victim to their teasing, Regina was hiding just inside the dining room, anxiously smoothing her dress and second-guessing her wardrobe choice. She knew she was being ridiculous; this wasn’t the first date she’d been on, but it was the first time in probably a good sixteen years that someone had come to the front steps of 108 Mifflin Street to take her out for the night. And, though she hated to admit it to herself, she was nervous. Nervous because she really, truly liked Robin. He was warm, and charming, and he seemed to find her fascinating even when she was at her worst. For a moment she regretted that she’d had to meet him here of all places, here where she was still struggling to reconcile the Regina of the past, full of hurt and anguish and heartbreak, with the calm, confident and capable Regina of the present. She closed her eyes, mentally reviewing all of her good qualities, hoping that her mind’s inventory would give her enough confidence not to blow the night.

Which, of course, meant that she didn’t see Cora walking down the hallway toward the front stairs. Her mother was standing right in front of the door when the bell rang. _Shit_ , Regina thought.

Cora opened the door, her face registering her distaste at the gall of an unannounced visitor at the dinner hour. A visitor she didn’t recognize, no less. “Hello?” she said cautiously.

“Madame Mayor,” Robin said, holding out a hand, “It’s lovely to meet you. I’ve heard wonderful things about you from your husband and your daughter.”

Cora was confused, that much was obvious. Regina stepped out of the shadows of the dining room and rested a hand on her mother’s elbow. “Mother, this is Robin Locksley. He’s a client of mine, and he met with Daddy this morning. Robin,” she said, turning to him with a smile, “I see you’ve met my mother.”

Cora smiled thinly, her distaste at being left in the dark at war with her impeccable manners. “Would you like to come in,” she asked, sweeping her arm toward the hallway.

Out of the corner of her eye, Regina saw Mary Margaret and Emma leap to their feet. _Oh, absolutely not_ , she thought, and reached out to grab Robin’s arm, stopping him from entering the threshold.

“Robin and I are going to grab a bite to eat,” she said, not missing the once-over Cora gave her and the knowing look in her mother’s eye that Regina hadn’t worn this particular dress for a casual meal. “I’ll be back later tonight, Mother,” she said and kissed the cheek that Cora offered.

 “Mr. Locksley,” her mother said graciously, “lovely to meet you.”

Regina wasn’t fooled by the warmth in her mother’s tone. She’d be answering for this in the morning, she was sure of it, but at the moment she was desperate to escape the house. “Shall we?” she asked Robin with a bright smile and took the arm that he offered.

***

He held open the door to his car, a gentlemanly gesture that was completely unnecessary but didn’t go unappreciated. She eased in, marveling at the difference a day made. Last night she’d been on the verge of tears, and tonight she was wound up for a completely different reason. She buckled her seatbelt and smoothed the skirt of her dress, hoping that she’d made a good impression.

Robin slid into the driver’s seat and smiled at her. “I thought we’d leave town for the night, if that suits you. I found a sushi place in Sterling that’s quite good. Perhaps not up to what you’d find in Arlington or the District, but I’m sure it’s better than grilled cheese at the diner.”

She laughed and agreed that leaving the Storybrooke town limits was an excellent idea. More than anything, Regina wanted to leave Storybrooke behind her for the night and spend the evening getting to know Robin without the weight of her childhood tarnishing their conversation. As they drove past the sign that read _Leaving Storybrooke_ , she breathed a sigh of relief.

The restaurant he’d chosen was in a strip mall, less than a block away from one of the office buildings she leased. She’d passed by the sign on the door on a dozen property tours without ever noticing it. Inside were maybe ten tables and a handful of seats at the bar, where sushi chefs deftly sliced fish and shaped warmed rice into rolls.

“I’m impressed,” Regina said. “I would never have thought to come in here.”

“Well, then, you would have been missing out,” Robin said with a smile and gestured to the hostess for a table. “You have to keep an eye out for the well-kept secrets, Regina, or you never know what you’ll miss.” He smiled down at her, resting a hand gently on her back as he guided her to their table, and she suspected that he counted himself as one of those well-kept secrets. The corners of her mouth tugged into a smile. She would decide that for herself.

***

Robin suggested the sushi tasting menu, and Regina nodded. Given half a chance, she could probably take down every roll the restaurant offered, but Robin didn’t need to know that quite yet. He ordered sake for them both, and she settled into her chair, torn between being annoyed that he’d done the ordering and enjoying the fact that he was so obviously trying to impress her.

“So, Regina,” he said as he sipped the warmed sake, “I couldn’t help but noticing your name on a sign down the street.”

It was a point of pride for Regina, her name plastered on leasing signs all over Northern Virginia, and she couldn’t stop the flush that spread across her face at his noticing. In an industry where men dominated, she’d made her mark. “It is,” she said. “I lease several buildings in this area.”

“How did you get involved in real estate?” he asked, and she told him of her college roommate Tink, who’d brought her home for fall break their senior year. _Tink_ , he asked in disbelief, and she laughed at the nickname. “Tink’s, _Christina’s,_ father was the head of a real estate company. I told him I wanted to go into politics, and he told me that politics was a ridiculous goal for smart people. He offered me an internship, and I never left.” She told him stories of her first missteps in her career, the brokers who had come up in the freewheeling days of the 80s when women were entertainment, not competition, and finished with the story of how she’d browbeaten Sidney into allowing his client, the Northern Virginia Food Bank, to tour her industrial building just outside of Storybrooke.

“Remind me never to go up against you,” Robin said, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “You’re quite the formidable foe.”

Regina waved her hand, assuring Robin that, as a client, he had nothing to worry about. “Until your lease comes up for renewal,” she said with a laugh, “but you still have five years to worry about that. But enough about me. How did a Brit wind up working for the food bank?”

Robin filled her in on his own days at university, that he’d wanted to escape the confines of his parents’ expectations ( _preaching to the choir_ , Regina thought), and so he’d enrolled at Georgetown for his final year. He’d fallen in love with the city, and when his year ended, he set about finding a job as quickly as possible so that he could extend his visa. He’d never expected to work in the non-profit world, he’d said, but the idea of separating wealthy politicians from their money to support the needy had proven too much to resist.

“Living up to my name, I suppose,” he joked, and Regina laughed. “It’s a lot of pressure, certainly,” she agreed.  “Who names a kid after Robin Hood and expects him to be a banker?”

“Technically, my parents didn’t name me after Robin Hood,” he explained. “My name is actually Robert, but my mother had a fanciful streak. She started calling me Robin as a child, and it stuck.”

“Everyone has a nickname,” Regina laughed, and speared another piece of sashimi with her chopsticks. He agreed and reached over to her plate to liberate her untouched scallops, and she playfully pushed his chopsticks aside, telling him that if he wanted them, he’d have to cough up something in return. His eyes darkened for a moment, and she didn’t have to guess where his mind was going. She looked down at her plate, only to see him place a salmon hand roll at the edge.

“As I said, milady, turnabout is fair play.” He stabbed a scallop with his chopsticks and shoved it in his mouth, smiling at her while he chewed.

They split a dessert of mochi and sipped on green tea, and Regina couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a date this much. One of the hazards of living so close to DC was that most of the men she dated were interested in politics and power; they only cared about how she would look on their arm. She loved the easy conversation with Robin, loved that he laughed at her jokes, loved how his eyes strayed to the neckline of her dress when he thought she wasn’t looking. For once, she was grateful for the trip to Storybrooke, and the chance meeting that had brought Robin into her life.

***

Robin pulled up outside the house on Mifflin Street, and Regina chuckled softly.

“What?” he asked as he killed the engine.

“I’m 34 years old and you’re dropping me off at my parents’s house,” she said.

“Well,” he replied, “I certainly hope I’ll be allowed to drop you off at your house in the near future.”

She nodded and looked back up at him, thinking to make a joke, but his hand cupped her chin and his eyes met hers, and her words melted away. He leaned in and kissed her softly.

“In the very near future,” he whispered, and kissed her again. Her hand reached up to meet his, and , completely by instinct, her lips parted for him. He took heed of the opening and kissed her greedily this time, his tongue brushing her lower lip. She opened her mouth a bit wider, meeting his kiss with equal intensity, licking at his top lip. His other arm reached to her shoulders, attempting to pull her closer despite the seatbelt anchoring her in place.  Regina wasn’t oblivious to the humor in the situation, making out in a car in front of her parents’ house, but her free arm snaked across his belly regardless. Her fingers dug into his waist as he deepened the kiss, and she breathed into him, taking in the feel of rough cotton and the smell of woodsy cologne. She ran her hand along his waist, reveling in the hitch of his breath as she stroked him.

She was 34 years old and making out in a car in front of her childhood home, and she loved it. Her fingers dug into his skin and he reached up his hand to stroke her hair, never separating his lips from hers.  His fingers curled around the nape of her neck, and she shivered at the feel of his hands on her warm (too warm) skin.

“Regina,” he sighed into her mouth. “You are delightful.” He pulled back a bit, his hand still stroking the nape of her neck.

She brushed a hand up his waist, finally coming to rest on his bicep. “And you,” she said, “know how to woo a girl.”

He laughed at that and pulled back enough so that he could meet her eyes. “I suppose I should walk you to the door, then, though I hate to see this evening end.”

She disentangled herself from him. “Another evening, then,” she teased.

“Any evening,” he said with a laugh and brought her knuckles up to his mouth for a kiss. “Any evening at all.” He released her hand and reached for her seatbelt, clicking the release button. “But for now, I should get you inside before your father starts to think less of me.”

***

Regina glided up the stairs to her room, still feeling the heat of Robin’s hand on her neck.  She brushed her thumb against her bottom lip, still tasting him on her tongue and feeling his hand buried in her hair. She kicked off her shoes as she pushed open her door, thinking that seeing him again, when they were back to real life and she could just be herself, couldn’t come quickly enough.

On her bed, she found a note written in her father’s strong, blocky handwriting. _Daniel called_ , it said, and her heart sank.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cora and Regina have a heart-to-heart.

A buzzing from the nightstand woke Regina the next morning, and she flung a hand to the bedside table to reach her phone. She squinted at the screen – a new text message from Robin Locksley. Her mouth curved into a grin and she swiped the screen to retrieve the text.

_I don’t want to take up time you should be spending with your family – or run the risk of you growing tired of my charm – but I’ll be at Granny’s in an hour should you wish to have a cup of coffee._

She checked the time. 7:15, way too early to be awake. She groaned and kicked at the covers, cursing the fact that she had yet to sleep in a single morning of her vacation. She pushed herself into a sitting position against the headboard and tapped the back button on his message. 13 texts from Emma were waiting for her – texts she’d pointedly ignored last night each time her phone buzzed – and now was as good a time as any to read them. The first four were dating tips, followed by a reminder that the drugstore in town closed at 10 in case she needed to stop by for condoms, and the remaining messages were photos of Emma and Mary Margaret making various kissy-faces at the camera. The last photo was of Mary Margaret making a hand gesture that even shocked Regina. Who knew the sweet schoolteacher had it in her?  _No wonder David always looks so happy_ , Regina mused as she headed down the hallway to take a shower.

She was waiting for Robin when he came through the door at Granny’s, a soy latte in her hand and a cup of coffee resting on the counter next to a small pitcher of cream.  He broke into a grin at the sight of her and closed the distance between them with three long strides.

“So, you decided to join me. Should I assume that the fact that you didn’t bring your father means that I dropped you off past your curfew last night?” he asked, winding an arm around her waist and leaning in for a brief kiss. She chuckled as his lips met hers.

“I think you’re in the clear on that,” she said, resting a hand on his chest. He reached up his own to cover hers and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “Besides, he’s not playing golf today, so he wouldn’t dare to get out of bed this early. Not even for another dose of your charm.”

“Well, I’m sorry if I roused you earlier than you’d like, but I’m quite happy to see your smiling face,” he said. He gestured to the cup on the counter. “Though I did have plans to have your coffee ready and waiting for you.”

She disentangled her hand from his and eased into one of the stools at the counter, ever mindful of Ruby’s watchful gaze. And, truthfully, a little bit thrown by his easy display of affection. “It’s my turn, isn’t it?”

He shrugged as he sat next to her and reached for the pitcher of cream. “Perhaps,” he said, “but perhaps I like treating you.”

“Perhaps I like doing the same,” she said, and he raised his eyebrows at the challenge in her tone.

“Point taken.” He poured a liberal dose of cream into his coffee and raised his mug in salute. “Thank you, Regina. Your generosity has made me a happy man indeed, and I look forward to returning the favor.”

Her cheeks grew flushed, and she dropped her head to avoid meeting his gaze. “You never quit, do you?” she asked, trying to hide a smile.

He rested his hand lightly on her leg, drumming his fingertips on her knee. “When you smile like that, why would I?”

Regina rolled her eyes at that. “All right, it’s too early in the morning for cheesy lines. You can stop now.” He laughed, sipped his coffee, and agreed to lay off the charm. His hand, though, never left her knee.

“I was wondering if you’d like to come out and check out the new space,” he asked. “We’ve almost got it finished, and I thought you might like to see the fruits of your labor.”

She’d promised Emma that she’d keep an eye on Henry in the afternoon and asked Robin if he would mind if he tagged along. “Not at all,” he said. “It might be good for him to get a look at what we do. Kids his age don’t always appreciate what they have or how difficult it is for those that aren’t so lucky.” She agreed, and made plans to stop by with Henry in the afternoon. “I look forward to seeing you later, then,” he said, and leaned in for another kiss. This one was slower, sweeter; he gently drew her bottom lip between his teeth as his hand ran the length of her thigh. When he broke the kiss, she was breathing heavily and her heart was racing.

And Ruby was leaning on the counter in front of them with her chin perched in her hand, doing her very best Cheshire Cat impression. “Don’t mind me,” she grinned. “Carry on.”

Robin pulled out his wallet and pushed a fiver across the counter to Ruby. “I will see you tomorrow morning,” he said, and then turned to Regina. “And I will see you this afternoon.”

Regina fought the urge to watch him walk out and turned to face Ruby instead, who was still grinning like the village idiot. “Stop it,” Regina snapped, “and bring me a fruit and yogurt plate.”

“Coming right up,” Ruby replied and strolled back to the kitchen, humming a cheesy love song the entire way.

***

Regina was halfway through a slice of pineapple when she was joined by an unexpected, and most definitely unwelcome, guest. “Zelena,” she sighed, dropping her fork to the plate with a clatter.

“Good morning, Regina,” Zelena replied brightly. “Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but I just need to grab a couple of coffees. Daniel is waiting for me.” Regina caught the unnecessary stress on Daniel’s name and rolled her eyes. Zelena was hardly subtle about marking her territory.

“Well, don’t let me keep you,” she said tightly, pushing the plate away, her appetite suddenly gone. Zelena waved to Ruby, and the dark look she shot the redhead in return was almost enough to bring Regina’s good mood back. Almost, but not quite.

“It’s a shame your friend couldn’t stay for breakfast,” Zelena said, and Regina’s stomach tightened. Making small talk with her nemesis was bad enough; the thought of discussing her love life was the last thing she wanted to do.

“Well, you know how it is,” she said lightly. “He had to get to work.”

“Indeed. I hear he’s working for the food bank. I’m surprised, Regina,” Zelena said, raising an eyebrow. “I always thought you’d wind up with someone…a bit more powerful, I suppose. Someone who works for a nonprofit must seem awfully lowbrow to your mother.”

“Well, fortunately, my mother doesn’t have veto power on my love life. But I appreciate your concern,” Regina snapped.

Zelena’s eyes widened, a practiced innocent look that Regina remembered all too well from grade school. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Regina. I’m sure he’s lovely. I just hope you’re as happy with him as I am with Daniel.”

“Yes, well, it gives me something to aspire to, certainly,” Regina muttered. She reached into her wallet and threw enough cash on the counter to cover her breakfast and coffee. “Always a pleasure, Zelena,” she said and strode out of the diner, the last remnants of her earlier good mood in tatters.

***

Regina had no idea how long she’d been sitting on a bench in front of City Hall, staring blankly at her phone, when her mother’s surprised _Regina_ broke through her reverie. “What are you doing here?” Cora asked.

Regina looked up and met her mother’s questioning look. She had forgotten it was only Thursday and that her mother would be coming in to her office at 9:00 on the nose. She should have gone to the park to sit and stew, where she would have been unnoticed by all except the ducks. “Nothing, Mother,” she answered. “Just…resting a bit.”

“Why don’t you come upstairs,” Cora suggested, holding out a hand to her daughter. “We can have a nice chat, just the two of us.” Regina nodded meekly and took her mother’s hand. A cozy chat was the last thing she wanted, but nobody said no to Cora Mills, and Regina was in no mood to face her mother’s ire.

“You want to tell me what put that sour look on your face?” Cora asked as Regina settled herself on the sofa in her mother’s office.  _Not really,_  Regina thought, but she nodded anyway.

“Daniel called last night, and then I bumped into Zelena this morning. That’s enough to put me in a foul mood all on its own.”

Cora’s lips pursed at the sound of Daniel’s name. “Your father told me he called,” she said. “Are you going to talk to him?”

Regina shrugged. “I don’t know, Mother. What’s there to say after all this time?”

Cora tapped a pen lightly on her desktop. “Given the look on your face, I’d guess there are a lot of things you have to say,” she said, deliberately keeping her tone casual.

A hollow laugh escaped from Regina’s throat. Her mother, as usual, had a point. “He wants to clear the air between us.”

Cora sniffed. “A little late for that, I’d say. He had the chance to ‘clear the air,’ as you put it, fourteen years ago, and he chose to run off and hide instead.”

Regina opened her mouth to defend Daniel – old habits died hard, after all – but the words died on her lips. Why should she defend Daniel? She wasn’t going to change Cora’s mind about him, and she was sick of trying. She did wonder, though, how much of Daniel’s behavior was on _him_ , and how much was on Cora. She’d never asked her mother for details from those days in the hospital; she’d preferred to stick her head in the sand rather than rile her mother with questions about her behavior. And, truthfully, blaming her mother gave her an excuse to not blame Daniel, but after 14 years, her excuses for him were finally starting to wear thin.

“Can I ask you something, Mother?” she said. “What did you say to him when you called him? When he showed up in the hospital that day?”

Cora put the pen down on her desk and folded her hands. Clearly she’d been expecting this question for fourteen years. “I only spoke to him on the phone. I told him that you were in surgery, that you’d lost the baby I didn’t even know you were carrying, and that I expected him to be in Storybrooke first thing in the morning. When he got there, your father spoke to him. I didn’t see him at all before he left.”

Regina shook her head. “I find it hard to believe, Mother, that you didn’t jump at the chance to lay into him. You’d been wanting an excuse to do that for years.” She expected her mother to jump down her throat at that, but Cora simply leaned back in her chair and studied her daughter over the frames of her reading glasses.

“Do you really think that this was my doing? That I somehow convinced him to drop you while you were in the hospital recovering from a miscarriage? Regina, I may not have been the best mother in the world, but I’m not a monster.”

“You never approved of him,” Regina muttered.

“No, I didn’t,” Cora agreed. “You decided when you were a teenager that you were going to marry him and live happily ever after in Storybrooke because he wanted to be the vet at his father’s stables. He made his plans for the future, and you adjusted yours to fit. That’s not what I wanted for you, Regina, and more to the point, that’s not what would have made you happy.” She gestured to the view behind her, the window framing the Storybrooke town square. “Is this really all you wanted out of life? To live here, and work for me, and be the next Blanchard to be mayor when I stepped down?”

Cora’s outburst left Regina stunned. Truthfully, no, it wasn’t what she had wanted, but she’d grown up knowing that it was what was expected. “What about the Blanchard legacy?” she asked.

Her mother shrugged. “You don’t have to give up your entire life to satisfy a long line of dead relatives.”

“Why not?” Regina asked bluntly. “You did.”

“That was my choice,” Cora said. “I wanted to be the mayor, and I wanted to stay in Storybrooke, and I wanted to marry your father and have a family. And my father told me that it would be Leo who carried on the family name. I let him decide for me who I was going to be, and it cost me my relationship with my brother. And yes, I wanted you to stay here and be my legacy, but not at the cost of forcing you to live the life I chose for you when you could have been – when you _are_ – so much more.”

Regina’s chin dropped. “I’m sorry, Mother,” she said quietly. Her mother stood and crossed the room, sitting gingerly on the sofa beside Regina.

“Sorry for what?” she asked as she laid a hand gently on her daughter’s shoulder.

“Everything, I suppose. I’m sorry for thinking you did something to chase Daniel away. Sorry for thinking that you were disappointed in me for not being more like you. Sorry for never bothering to ask you about any of this.”

Cora pulled her daughter close, and Regina rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. “You don’t need to apologize, Regina. And the only thing that disappoints me is that you keep finding ways of getting in the way of your own happiness. I’m very proud of you, you know. I’m proud of all three of you.”

Regina chuckled softly. “Even Emma?” she asked. “Actually, I meant Henry,” her mother answered drily, and Regina broke into a full laugh.

“Yes, even Emma, though I still don’t want her driving my car,” Cora continued. She kissed Regina’s forehead. “Now, what are you going to do? Are you going to talk to Daniel?”

“I suppose I should,” Regina sighed. “Otherwise I’ll just spend even more time thinking about what-ifs and should-haves.”

“If that’s what you feel you need to do, then do it. But remember, Regina – the 18-year-old boy you fell in love with is long gone, and so is the 20-year-old girl who lost him. It’s time to let them both go.” She gave her daughter one last squeeze and stood, brushing imaginary lint off her perfectly pressed trousers. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I actually do need to get back to work. Why don’t you head home and make sure Emma hasn’t burned the house down?” 

***

The house was still standing when Regina got home, and a quick check of the kitchen showed that Emma hadn’t gone near any of the major appliances. Regina liberated an apple from the basket on the counter and trudged up the stairs. She could hear laughter coming from Emma’s room, so she stuck her head in the doorway. Emma and Henry, still in their pajamas, were tucked in Emma’s bed watching _Wreck-it Ralph_ , and the two of them were cackling in unison at a cupcake-encased Ralph charging the king.

“You’ve seen this movie a hundred times. Is it really still that funny?” she asked, and both heads snapped from the tv to the doorway.

“Well, well, well,” Emma said, her green eyes narrowing. “Look who’s finally showing her face this morning.”

Regina’s own eyes widened in response. “I was at the office with Mother,” she said innocently. 

“Really? All this time?” Emma asked, and Regina nodded. “Nice try, toots,” Emma retorted, kicking off the covers and snatching her phone off the nightstand. She held out her phone, and Regina looked down at the display. _Dammit, Ruby_ , she thought, staring at a photo of Robin leaning in to kiss her at the diner.

“So, my little siren, I have to say I was relieved to see you weren’t in yesterday’s clothes,” Emma said. “But getting up early to meet for _coffee_ the next day,” and the emphasis on the word more than made clear that Emma didn’t think it was the caffeine Regina was after, “that’s not like you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Emma. It was just coffee. No big deal.”

Emma cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms, staring at Regina in disbelief. “No big deal? Let me remind you how your love life goes,” she said, completely ignoring Regina’s muttered _oh, please don’t_. “You go on a date and then forget about the guy for a week. You go on a second date and then forget about the guy for another week, maybe two. You go on a third date and you come home and tell me that you’re not going to see him again because he chewed with his mouth open or you don’t like the way he pronounces certain words."

Regina snorted. “I most certainly do not do that.”

“Jefferson,” Emma said with a sharp nod, and Regina rolled her eyes.

“He said nucular instead of nuclear. It was annoying.”

“How does Robin say it?” Henry piped up from the bed, and Regina shot a frosty glare at Emma. This conversation certainly didn’t need to happen in front of Henry, who had an uncomfortable habit of repeating things at the most inopportune moments. She had a vision of Henry asking Robin to pronounce nuclear at the food bank later in the afternoon and groaned.

“I’m going to go do some work,” she said. “You two, please stay here.” Henry dutifully turned back to the movie, but Emma followed her down the hall, still wanting to know the dirty details.

“Regina, wait. Seriously, tell me. How did it go?”

“It was fine, Emma. It was good. And I don’t really want to dissect it, ok?” Emma pulled back at the dismissiveness in Regina’s tone and shifted her weight uncomfortably.

“You’re still mad at me,” she said.

Regina closed her eyes. “I’m not mad,” she said softly. “But I just want to…let this be. Can we do that please? Just let it be what it is?” She opened her eyes to see Emma nodding vigorously.

“I’m dropping it. But Regina, you know I ask because I want you to be happy, right?”

“I know,” Regina sighed. “And I appreciate it. Now go back to the movie.” Her phone buzzed in her hand – a new text message from Mary Margaret. Oh, Christ. She clicked on the text. The same picture from Ruby, followed by the message _Explanation, please_. She glared up at Emma.

“Yeah. Mary Margaret might want to ask you some questions too,” Emma said with a sly smile. Regina threw the apple in her hand at Emma as she ducked back into her bedroom.

Regina typed in a reply. _I’ll be happy to explain. Your best friend is an asshole_. She clicked send on the message, shut off the display on the phone, and set off for her father’s stash of cookies in the pantry.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family dinner.

When they arrived at the industrial park, Regina and Henry were greeted with the sight of a box truck bearing the Millbrook Foods logo parked in the bay. Regina ushered Henry in through the main doors of the suite and guided him back to the loading dock. There she found Robin stripped down to a white sleeveless undershirt and hauling boxes of canned goods. His biceps bulged and tensed as he carried box after box into the main staging area of the food bank, and Regina thanked her lucky stars that she’d arrived just after her father’s truck. He hitched up his jeans on his next pass into the truck, worn leather work gloves curling into the waistband, and she breathed an involuntary sigh.

“Are you okay?” Henry asked, less than impressed by the flurry of activity surrounding them. “You sound funny.”

“I’m fine,” she said smoothly. “It’s just…dusty in here.”

Henry shrugged, not buying her explanation but not caring to dig any deeper. “Robin,” he called out, waving an arm furiously over his head. Robin looked up from the driver’s manifest sheet and smiled. He gestured to Henry to wait, signed the bill of lading, and strolled over to where he and Regina stood. He pulled off one worn leather glove with his teeth (perfect white teeth, so perfect for nibbling. _Stop it, Regina_.), and then the other, shoving them into the rear pocket of his jeans.

“So you made it here after all,” he said, resting a hand on Regina’s lower back as he clapped Henry on the shoulder. “Let me give you the grand tour.” Henry surveyed the open industrial space, his nose wrinkling as he took in the concrete floors, high ceilings, and row after row of simple wire shelving.

“Grand?” he asked doubtfully.

“It is to us, thanks to Regina,” Robin replied as he absently stroked her back. She shivered a bit at the gentle caress, trying to maintain her cool composure. He took a step back and reached for the light blue henley tee tossed across the workroom table and pulled it over his head. _Pity_ , Regina thought. “Now then,” he said with a grin, “shall we get started?’

The tour took all of ten minutes, and it was every bit as grand as Henry had feared. A few small offices, a reception desk in the front to greet incoming families, and a workroom set up for volunteers and food storage. Robin walked Henry through the process of sorting canned goods and perishable items and helped Henry pack a few bags for pickup. Henry beamed at Regina, proud of his own efforts, and she smiled warmly back at him. Henry was a generous soul, and Emma had worked tirelessly to make sure that he appreciated every gift that he was given. Regina loved to see that care played out in front of her, and she made a mental note to remember every detail to report back to Henry’s mother later in the evening. “I’m good at this,” Henry announced, and Regina found herself nodding in complete agreement.

Robin agreed as well. “Any time you wish to volunteer, Henry, you’re more than welcome,” he said. Henry shook out another paper bag and began digging through a box of canned beans. “As long as I bring Regina, you mean,” Henry replied.

Regina flushed with embarrassment, but Robin chuckled softly. “You’re welcome on your own, but I’m more than pleased to have you bring Regina along,” he answered, giving her a wink. She rolled her eyes in response and playfully slapped away the hand that had come to rest on her hip.

“You have a lot of canned goods here,” Henry said, surveying the labels of two different brands of kidney beans. “Can I ask you a question? How long would they survive if, like, a nuclear war broke out?”

 _Oh, shit_. She was going to kill him.

Robin furrowed his brow at the unexpected question. “A nuclear war?” he asked. “Aren’t you a little young to worry about such things?”

Henry broke into a wide smile at way Robin pronounced the word _nuclear_. “You’re never too young to worry about things like that,” he replied with a dramatic sigh, wisdom beyond his nine years permeating his words. And then, because he’d clearly gotten the answer he sought, “Do you have any rice to go with these?”

Robin gestured to the shelf where packets of rice mix were kept. Henry loped off to sort through the contents of the shelf, and Robin turned back to Regina, who was desperately trying to hide the flush in her cheeks.

“He seems to be enjoying himself,” Robin said, tilting his head to where Henry was reading ingredient labels. “But what of you? What do you think of our setup?”

Regina smiled. “I think I won’t have any trouble reassuring your landlord that things are running smoothly.”

“I didn’t ask the real estate broker,” Robin countered, tapping a fingertip against Regina’s collarbone. “I asked _you_.”

“It’s amazing,” she said, keeping her hands firmly curled in her pockets to keep from grabbing at those biceps. “You’ve done an amazing job here. I’m very impressed.”

Robin’s smile brightened at her praise. “Well, then, it was all worth it.”

She crossed her arms and ducked her chin, unsure of how to respond to his overly flirtatious banter. It shouldn’t even faze her; she was 34 years old, for God’s sake. But something about his easy charm completely threw her off her game. He took pity on her obvious discomfort and cupped a hand around her elbow. “Come on,” he said softly, “I’ll introduce you to some of the staff.”

With only three staff members in the warehouse, the introductions were brief. Regina shook hands with John, who was perhaps the largest man she’d ever met, and he told her that he was glad to finally put a face with the name. Robin shot a quick glare at John and guided Regina over to the front desk, where two college-aged girls sat side by side, staring at an iPhone. “This is Mulan, and this is Aurora,” he said. “They’re interning with us this summer from George Mason.” Regina exchanged hellos with the two girls and asked them about their courses. She mentioned that Emma was finishing her degree at George Mason in political science, and Aurora asked her about classes and professors. Regina confessed that she had no idea who Emma liked and didn’t, but told her she’d be happy to find out for her. Aurora thanked her and leaned back into Mulan, forgetting Regina and Robin’s presence as soon as her attention was diverted.

“Oh, to be young again,” Robin muttered.

Regina nudged him with her shoulder. “Do you even remember being that young?” she asked playfully.

He snaked an arm around her waist. “I believe I could try, if the occasion called for it.” He grinned down at her and tugged her a little closer to him. She opened her mouth to flirt back, but a text alert interrupted her.

“Sorry,” she said, fishing her phone out of her pocket. “Duty calls.” He nodded, but made no move to release her. She leaned into him as she punched in her passcode.  Another text from Emma. Regina was beginning to think that Emma had some sort of sorcery where she and Robin were concerned. How else could she explain how easily Emma’s texts always seemed to interrupt them?

_Killian’s out for the wedding. Fire at the marina today. Cora is PISSED._

Regina sighed. Of course her mother would be pissed. Well-bred people didn’t back out of an invitation to a formal event 48 hours prior, regardless of the circumstances. The meal had already been paid for, after all, and Cora would not be pleased at having to rearrange the seating chart. Especially for Emma’s boyfriend.

 _Anyone hurt?_ she texted back. She saw the little balloon indicating that Emma was typing a reply pop up on the screen.

_No, but a lot of rich people are not happy. Some of them are right here in Storybrooke._

Robin pulled gently at her waist. “Everything all right?” he asked.

“Fine,” she answered. “Emma’s boyfriend just cancelled for the wedding. Work emergency. But it’s fine.”

Henry’s head shot up from where he was stacking cans on a shelf. “Killian’s not coming? But he and I were going to decorate the getaway car!”

Regina laughed. “Well, I’m sure Mary Margaret will be terribly disappointed at that. Come on, Henry, we should probably get going.” Henry turned the last remaining cans on the shelf so that their labels were facing forward and hopped off the ladder leaning against the shelving.

“All this food is making me hungry,” he said. “Can we stop on the way back and get some ice cream?”

“Fine,” Regina said. “Go get your bag.” Henry strolled up to the reception desk and grabbed his backpack, and Regina turned to Robin. “Thanks for having us here. It was good for him.”

“Good for you too, I hope,” he said, and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers.

“Good for me too,” she answered softly. “But I really do have to get going.” She reached up and brushed her lips against his, and his arm tightened around her as he pulled her into a deeper kiss. She wanted to continue the kiss, wanted to push him down on the work table and curl herself on top of him, wanted to do a lot of things that would probably scar Henry for life, but she didn’t. Instead she pulled away, resting a hand on his chest. “I’ll talk to you soon?” she asked.

He brushed her hair behind her ears. “Definitely,” he said, with a grin that revealed his dimples and made her belly flutter. “I’ll call you tonight, if that’s all right.”

She nodded and stepped back, loving the way he held her hand as she retreated from him. He squeezed her fingers one final time, and she was out the door.

***

She caught a whiff of onions and garlic as she and Henry walked into the foyer of the white Colonial. She’d know that scent anywhere; Cora was making lasagna for dinner, and Regina’s stomach rumbled in response to the heady aroma. She pushed Henry up the stairs, admonishing him to wipe the remnants of chocolate ice cream off his face before he went anywhere near her mother, and made her way down the hallway to the kitchen. Cora stood in front of the stove, a floral apron covering her work clothes, stirring ground beef into a skillet. “I hope you’re hungry,” Cora said grimly, and Regina’s good cheer vanished. Her mother was in a mood, that much was obvious. No wonder Emma was nowhere to be found.

“Starving,” Regina replied and lifted herself onto one of the barstools. “Anything I can do to help?”

Cora nodded to the cutting board on the counter. “You can get the salad ready. And wash your hands first.” Regina bit back a sharp retort and pushed herself off the barstool. She washed her hands obediently and dried them on a paper towel – Cora’s kitchen towels were strictly for decorative purposes. She missed her own cozy kitchen, with mismatched plates and dishtowels _. Just a few more days_ , she reassured herself and grabbed a paring knife from the drawer.

“So,” her mother said, “it appears we’re a guest short for the wedding.”

Regina hummed in response, focusing all her attention on slicing red onions. She wasn’t going to be drawn into this, not if she could help it. She slid the knife rhythmically into the onion, slicing perfectly uniform strips, and prayed that her mother would let the subject drop. No such luck.

“I should have known this would happen,” Cora continued, stabbing a bit more violently than usual at hunks of ground beef in the saucepan.  “Something always seems to come up when it comes to that boyfriend of hers.”

“Well, things happen,” Regina said mildly as she slid a handful of sliced onion into her mother’s white ceramic serving dish. She reached for a red pepper and sliced away the stem. “I’m sure he’s just as disappointed as you are.” She pulled the ribs and seeds away from the peppers, dropping them into the disposal.

“Careful, Regina. You’re dropping seeds on the floor.”

Regina sighed and scooped up the errant seeds. Dinner was going to be a long, unpleasant affair.  All her mother’s warmth and understanding from the morning were gone. She should have known it was too good to last.

“We never should have invited him in the first place,” Cora continued. “I told Mary Margaret that it didn’t make sense unless they were serious.”

“They are serious, Mother. I think they’re in it for the long haul, and I’m glad. He’s good for her.”

Cora pursed her lips and continued stirring. Clearly she didn’t agree.

“And I’m sure he didn’t mean to insult you by canceling. But he’s got a job to do, and if I recall, you canceled on us a time or two for your job.” More than a time or two, Regina thought. More like every other day. Regina, Emma and Mary Margaret were always low on Cora’s priority list.

Her mother dropped the wooden spoon with a clatter against the skillet, not pleased at having her own parenting skills called into question. “That’s hardly the same thing, Regina. I’m the _mayor_. He’s…what? A deckhand?”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Mother. He’s not a deckhand. He manages the marina. The marina, I’d like to point out, that houses the boats that several of your cronies own. Don’t be such a snob.”

Oh, that was the wrong thing to say. Cora wiped her hands on her apron and killed the flame on the burner. “I don’t like your attitude, Regina,” she bit out.

Her instincts told her to knuckle under and apologize, but Regina refused to listen this time. “I don’t like yours either, Mother. He’s done nothing to you, and Emma has been nothing but gracious about every part of this wedding. Stop looking for reasons to be angry and just enjoy the fact that we’re here.”

Cora braced her hands against the cool granite surface of the island. “I can finish up in here,” she said coolly. “You can go.” Regina wiped her hands against her jeans, not missing her mother’s look of disapproval. She opened the fridge, took out a couple of bottles of her father’s favorite beer, and excused herself from the kitchen.

***

Emma sat curled up underneath the apple tree in the backyard, one hand idly plucking at grass as she stared up into the branches. She jumped when Regina called her name and smiled gratefully at the bottle the brunette held out to her.

“Thanks,” she sighed. “I needed this.”

“I figured,” Regina said as she twisted off the bottle cap. She eased  herself onto the grass next to Emma, leaning up against the tree trunk. “Did you get a lecture, or just the cold shoulder?”

“I must be getting worse, because I managed to get both,” Emma said ruefully. “I’m just glad Henry wasn’t here to see it.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered,” Regina replied with a shrug. “Henry adores you. He tolerates her.”

“I don’t want him to tolerate her. And I don’t want her to tolerate me.” Emma took a long swallow of her beer and picked at the label with one fingernail. “Is that pathetic? That I want her to be proud of us?”

Regina shook her head. “No, it’s not pathetic. And she is proud. She’ll just never admit it to you.”

“Lucky me,” Emma said darkly, and Regina nudged her with her foot.

“Yes, lucky you,” she said. “You have the rest of us, and Emma…I’m proud of you. And I’m glad you’re here.” Emma smiled at that and leaned into Regina, resting her head on Regina’s shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re here too,” she answered softly. They sat curled up against the tree as dusk fell over the yard, side by side, until Henry stuck his head out the patio door and called them in to dinner.

***

The patio door led to the formal dining room, and Regina was surprised to see that the table was laid out with her mother’s best china. She’d expected to have dinner in the breakfast nook, but the place settings for seven indicated that this was to be a more formal affair.

“What’s this,” she asked her father as he handed her a glass of water.

“Mary Margaret and David are coming over,” he said. “Your mother thought it would be nice to have the family together tonight.”

Regina couldn’t help but smile at that. As much as her mother made  her crazy (and she did, every time they came back to Storybrooke), Regina loved that Cora had gone out of her way to host a family dinner. A family dinner that was leaps and bounds from what Regina had known until she was seven, when it had only been herself, her mother and her father sitting around the eight-person table. She settled herself into her usual seat at her father’s right hand.

Dinner was a quieter affair than Regina would have liked, with Emma still radiating tension and Cora refusing to speak until spoken to. Mary Margaret’s eyes darted constantly from her sister to her aunt, trying unsuccessfully to ease the tension.

Henry Sr. and Jr. helped, talking animatedly about the wedding, baseball, and any number of unimportant things. Regina chimed in where she could, but by the time her mother brought out an apple pie, she was exhausted. Dinners like these were exactly the reason she didn’t come home more often.

“Well,” Regina’s father said as he folded up his napkin, “I guess we’ll be doing this again tomorrow. Just in a more festive setting.”

Mary Margaret laughed and agreed, but said that the food certainly wouldn’t be able to compare. _Always trying to smooth things over_ , Regina thought appreciatively.

“Yes,” Cora agreed. “It’s too bad Killian won’t be joining us.”

A silence fell over the room, and Regina silently cussed her mother to kingdom come for bringing it up. Emma closed her eyes, and Henry’s shot from his mother to his grandmother, instantly on point to defend Emma. Regina hated to see him do that, to instantly bristle on the defensive for his mother against her family. _We shouldn’t do that_ , she thought. _We should be able to get through one goddamn dinner together_. She glared at her mother, but Cora refused to meet her eyes.

“He’d be here if he could,” Mary Margaret said brightly, ever the peacemaker.

“I’m sure,” Cora sniffed, her tone making it clear that she wasn’t sure at all. “But it still leaves us with an empty place at the table.”

“Well, maybe Regina can invite Robin,” Mary Margaret said, and Regina’s head snapped up.

“Robin?” Cora asked through clenched teeth.

“Robin,” her father agreed. “I told you about him, dear. He’s the young man who’s heading up the food bank.”

“And he’s a friend of yours?” Cora asked, swiveling to face Regina.

“A client,” Regina replied. “And yes, a friend.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Mary Margaret continued, ignoring the icy stare Regina was directing across the table. “He’s charming, and you like him,” she said to Regina. “We’d love to have him.” David nodded in agreement, still not sure who Robin was exactly but more than willing to go along with whatever his fiancée wanted.

“Then it’s settled,” Henry Sr. said, patting Regina’s hand. “Robin will be joining us.”

“Maybe I should ask him first?” she hissed, not sure how this had all been decided without her.

“Oh, he’ll say yes,” Mary Margaret said. “He’ll definitely say yes.”

Cora said nothing, studying Regina coolly. Her mother hated to be left out of the loop, Regina knew that, and she’d be angry that she was the last to know about this new man in Regina’s life. But if asking Robin meant diffusing the tension around the table, she’d do it.

“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll call him.”

“Well,” Cora sniffed, “I hope he has the good manners to accept.” And with that, the conversation was over.

***

Regina, Emma and Regina’s father stood in the kitchen, surveying the mess left behind by Cora’s cooking. Usually Cora cleaned as she went, but when she was angry, she left a trail of food scraps and dirty dishes in her wake. Emma gathered up pots and utensils, and Regina dug out the cleaning wipes from under the kitchen sink.

“You do the counters, Daddy,” she said, “and Emma and I will take care of the dishes.” He took the wipes from her hand and popped the top to pull up a cloth. Emma dug out a scouring pad and attacked the grease in the sauté pan.

“Are you okay with this?’ she asked under her breath.

Regina laughed. “Does it matter?” she asked.

“Of course it matters,” Emma said. “If you don’t want him there, he’s not there. End of story.”

Regina waved a hand. “It’s fine,” she said. “It’ll be nice to have him there.”

Emma bumped Regina with her hip. “Nice, huh?”

“Oh, shut up,” Regina said and took the skillet from Emma’s hand. “Don’t go reading into things.”

“Oh, no,” Emma said with a smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” She scrubbed the dishes a little more cheerfully after that.

***

Once the kitchen was cleaned to Cora’s satisfaction, Emma trudged up the stairs to bed. Regina moved to follow, but her father grabbed her arm. “Did you get my message last night?” he asked.

Regina nodded. She’d forgotten all about the scribbled phone message on her pillow. “What are you going to do?” Henry asked.

“Tonight?” Regina asked. “Nothing. He’ll be at the dinner tomorrow. I’ll talk to him then.”

He tucked her hand into his elbow and walked her up the stairs to her bedroom. “Be careful, sweetheart,” he said and kissed her on the cheek.

She pulled on a pair of yoga pants, and old t-shirt, and tucked herself under the Laura Ashley comforter that had decorated her bed since the mid-90s. She reached for her phone and pulled up her text messages. On finding Robin’s text from this morning, she tapped his name and waited for the phone to dial.

“Hello?” he answered roughly, and for a second she was afraid she’d woken him, until she looked at the clock by her bed and saw that it was barely 9:00.

“It’s Regina,” she said. “Am I bothering you?”

“Never,” he replied with a chuckle.

“Good,” she said, “because I need a favor. Do you remember how you said that you’d be here through the weekend.” He said that he did remember that and paused to hear what she was going to propose.

“Would you like to be my date to Mary Margaret’s wedding?” she asked, and she was embarrassed to find that she was biting her lip in anticipation of his response.

He laughed quietly. “I would be delighted,” he said.

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good,” she said, “because my mother has already penciled you into the seating chart for the wedding, and for the rehearsal dinner too.”

“Rehearsal dinner?” he asked, and she stumbled over her words to reassure him.

“It’s at the Greek Taverna on 2nd Street, and it’s not a big deal, just the family and some out-of-town guests, but there will be an open bar,” she said in a rush.

“Easy, Regina,” he said, amusement in his voice. “Take a breath. I would love to accompany you to the rehearsal dinner as well.” He asked for the particulars, and she told him that it would be easiest if he met them at the house at 7pm. He told her that he’d see her then.

“And Regina,” he said softly, “thank you for asking me.”

She blushed at the warmth in his voice. “Thank you for saying yes,” she said, and whispered a good night into the phone.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rehearsal dinner.

The steady patter of rain against the window woke Regina early on Friday morning, and she groaned as she looked out the window at gray clouds. Summer rain meant summer humidity, and summer humidity meant spending the entire day fighting to keep her hair presentable. Sometimes she truly hated living in Virginia. She kicked off the covers and padded over to the window – droplets were coursing down the glass at a steady pace, and the clouds showed no signs of dissipating. _Better today than tomorrow_ , she thought with a sigh. She scooped her phone of the nightstand and headed down the hall to the bathroom, telling herself that she needed to check her email to see if Sidney had coughed up that lease. She couldn’t hide her disappointment to see that no new text messages were waiting.

Wait a second – 6:30 AM? No wonder. _Normal people should still be sleeping at this hour_ , she thought. I _should still be sleeping at this hour._ It was too late to go back to bed, though; she was wide awake, and her mind was already starting to churn with the day’s to-do list. She made her way down to the kitchen and fired up the coffee machine, her phone tucked into her yoga pants on the off chance that it buzzed with a message.

Regina was well into her second cup of coffee and was slicing strawberries when her mother finally appeared.  “You’re up early,” Cora said softly as she reached into the cabinet for a mug.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Regina replied. “I thought I’d make myself useful down here instead.” She slid the last of the strawberries into a bowl and reached for a bag of grapes and the colander on the counter next to the cutting board.

“By making breakfast? Regina, you didn’t have to do that. I can certainly take care of it.”

“I wanted to,” Regina replied stubbornly. “Besides, you have enough going on today. I figured it was the least I could do.” She continued meticulously picking through the grapes as her mother poured herself a cup of coffee. She heard her mother’s footsteps behind her and shifted a little to the right, moving out of the way so that Cora could grab a spoon from the silverware drawer.  Rather than reaching for the knob, her mother rested a hand on the small of Regina’s back.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” she said, and pressed a kiss to Regina’s temple. She tucked Regina’s hair behind her ear with one hand and patted her back with the other, and Regina smiled at the rare display of affection. Cora’s foul mood from the night before had mercifully passed, and Regina whispered a prayer under her breath that it would stay gone until after the wedding. “Now,” Cora continued brightly as she pulled away, “your father’s already in a snit because he can’t play golf today, so how about we bribe him with some eggs and bacon?” She reached into the colander and popped a grape into her mouth.

“I haven’t rinsed those yet, Mother,” Regina said with a smile.

“I like to live dangerously,” her mother replied and tapped her on the nose. “You should too.”

Despite protests to the contrary, Regina was forced to cede her territory at the counter to her mother once Cora began pulling items from the refrigerator. She perched on a stool with her coffee and watched her mother deftly break eggs into a mixing bowl, something she had done every Sunday morning since Regina was a little girl. She sipped her coffee slowly as Cora made small talk about the rain and the caterers.  She had just brought the mug back to her lips when Cora said, “So, tell me about this Robin.”

Regina choked on her coffee, sending hot liquid dripping down her chin. Cora reached over to grab a paper towel and handed it to Regina. Once she’d mopped up her mess, Cora said, “This is the man you went to dinner with the other night, correct?”

Regina nodded, suddenly wary. She remembered Zelena’s comment from the day before that her mother wouldn’t approve of Regina dating someone who worked for a non-profit. “He is,” she said, unsure of how to continue.

“Well, he’s certainly a good-looking young man. And your father seems to like him.”

Regina shrugged. “Daddy likes everybody.”

“Almost everybody,” Cora corrected. “He doesn’t like people who beat him on the back nine. And he doesn’t like men who date his daughter.”

She laughed at that. “I’m 34, Mother. Not fifteen.”

“It doesn’t matter how old you are,” Cora said as she cranked up the burner under the griddle pan. “You’ll always be your father’s little girl. But he did tell me that Robin seemed like a charming man, and very smart and passionate about his work.”

“He is,” Regina agreed. “I took Henry to the food bank yesterday to see it.”

“It’s good that he does work for the community,” Cora said, and Regina raised her eyebrows. “What?” Cora asked, surprised. “Did you think I’ve been re-elected so many times because I look good in a suit? I do care about the people in this town, you know.”

Regina couldn’t argue that point, considering how many times she’d been the one to make dinner for Emma and Mary Margaret because her mother was working late. “You do look good in a suit, though, Mother.”

“I do, don’t I?” Cora laid six strips of bacon carefully on the griddle. “Besides, working for a non-profit is a perfectly respectable thing to do. It’s not like he’s, I don’t know, a deck-hand.”

“Mother,” a warning tone crept into Regina’s voice.

“It was a joke, Regina,” her mother said with an eyeroll. “Lighten up.”

She wasn’t entirely sure that it _was_ a joke, but Regina let it slide. A sudden clap of thunder shook the house, and Regina lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “Well, Emma will be up soon,” she said.

“Still can’t sleep through a thunderstorm?”

“No,” Regina replied. “But at least she doesn’t crawl into bed with me anymore. Not very often, anyway.”

Her mother laughed at that and continued to prod at the sizzling bacon. “Back to the subject at hand,” she said as she wiped grease spatters off the counter, “Robin. Tell me about him.”

She gave Cora the bare-bones overview, telling her that he finished school at Georgetown, that he lived in Alexandria, and that he had a young son. Regina studied her mother’s face for any signs of disapproval that Robin’s first marriage had failed, but Cora barely batted an eyelash. She _hmmmed_ and nodded at appropriate moments and asked Regina if he’d been easy to talk to.

“Very easy,” Regina said, remembering the way Robin had listened with interest to her stories and laughed at her ridiculous real estate jokes.

“And did he kiss you goodnight?” Cora asked as Emma came shuffling into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

“Mother!”

“Oh, he kissed her goodnight all right. And then good morning at the diner yesterday too,” Emma replied as she pulled up a stool next to Regina.

“Was it a good kiss?” Cora asked over her shoulder, reaching into the cabinet for a couple of plates.

“We’re not talking about this,” Regina hissed.

“I have a picture, if you want to see,” Emma said. Cora laughed as she slid two strips of bacon onto each plate, then dished a scoop of softly scrambled eggs for Regina and (in Regina’s opinion) overcooked eggs for Emma.

“No runny yolk mess,” she said with a smile as she handed the plate to Emma, and Emma returned the smile gratefully. It was a small olive branch, remembering how Emma loathed runny eggs, but Regina was glad to see it nonetheless.

Her father came into the kitchen, no doubt following the scent of bacon, and immediately began grumbling about his cancelled golf game. To Regina’s relief, the subject of her love life was dropped.

Her phone vibrated against her skin, and she fished it out of the waistband of her yoga pants. A message from Robin. _Coffee this morning?_

 _Family breakfast at home,_ she typed back. _I’ll see you at 7pm._ His reply was almost immediate – _Looking forward to it._ Her lips twitched as she fought to keep back a grin, and she put the phone face-down on the counter. When she looked up, all three members of her family were staring at her. “What?” she asked. Cora and Emma started laughing, and Henry scooped up his plate of bacon and eggs. “It’s way too early in the morning for _that_ ,” he griped and headed back to his den, muttering under his breath the entire way.

***

The rest of the day slid by in a flurry of activity. Cora had prepared to-do lists for each of the girls, and it wasn’t until mid-afternoon when Regina sat in a chair at the nail salon that an unfortunate realization hit her: she had nothing to wear tonight. Emma had strong-armed her into wearing the red dress she was originally planning to wear to the barbecue, and she couldn’t very well reclaim the purple dress from Emma that’d she’d worn the other night since Robin was now her date for the evening. An emergency call to Kathryn (thank God for touchscreens, because her manicurist was shooting daggers at her) took care of the problem. Kathryn promised to deliver something appropriate, and Regina breathed a sigh of relief. Mary Margaret leaned over Regina’s shoulder. “Bring something with cleavage,” she said into the phone. Regina took her free hand and shoved Mary Margaret back into her chair, smudging her nails in the process and earning a salty glare from the manicurist.

At five o’clock, the Blanchard-Mills family was in the church, waiting for the rehearsal to begin. Regina handed Mary Margaret the bouquet made of ribbons from the bridal shower and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. “Are you ready for this?” she asked.

“I’ve never been more ready,” she replied with a smile. Regina cupped a hand against Mary Margaret’s cheek.

“I’m so happy for you, Snow White,” she whispered. “You’re going to be a beautiful bride.” Mary Margaret’s hand rested over her own, and Regina felt her heart stutter at the thought of the little girl with the big green eyes who’d followed her everywhere now being grown up enough to get married. _Where did the time go?_ she thought.

“This is my happy ending, Regina,” Mary Margaret said softly. “Now I want you to find yours.”

Emma rested her chin on Regina’s shoulder. “In that dress, I can guarantee you that _someone_ is going to get a happy ending,” she said with a laugh.

Regina rolled her eyes, but Mary Margaret gasped. “Emma! We’re in _church_!” Emma stuck her tongue out at her twin. “Oh, relax,” Regina said. “If lightning didn’t strike her when she walked in, I’m sure she’s fine.” She shrugged Emma off her shoulder. “Now, should we get this show on the road?”

***

The rehearsal went off without a hitch. Regina and Emma couldn’t help but laugh at how seriously Henry took his ring-bearer duties, taking each measured step with the same look of concentration he tackled Angry Birds. Daniel and Zelena’s girls were slightly less impressed with their roles as flower girls, and Henry shot them disapproving looks as they giggled throughout the rehearsal. He shot Regina a glance at one point and rolled his eyes as if to say _kids these days_. She would have nodded in agreement, but she was too busy slapping away the finger that Emma kept poking in her ribcage. Kids these days, indeed.

She focused her attention on the minister and the wedding coordinator, keeping her back to the pews, but she could still feel Daniel’s eyes on her. The bright green halter dress had seemed perfect when Kathryn brought it over, but Regina was having her doubts about the broad expanse of skin the backless dress was showing to the crowd behind her. The last thing she needed was more conflict with Daniel, and if he was watching her, Zelena would be watching him.  A recipe for disaster if ever she’d seen one.

She stayed behind to talk to the wedding coordinator when the rehearsal ended, giving everyone enough time to clear out. She was in the middle of a nonsensical question about the proper height to hold a bouquet when she heard her mother’s heels clicking up the aisle. “Regina, dear,” Cora said. “It’s safe to come out now.” Regina excused herself and followed her mother meekly down the aisle. When they got to the heavy wooden doors of the church, Cora turned back to her daughter.

“Never hide, Regina. You’re a Blanchard, and a Mills. We don’t back down from anything.” She rested a hand on Regina’s elbow and guided her out the doors to where the family waited.

***

The rain had mercifully stopped, leaving the air damp and heavy and redolent with dirt, wet leaves and pavement. Regina gave up trying to tame her hair and twisted it up into a bun. The apprehension she had felt earlier at having Daniel stare at her had shifted into butterflies in her stomach, fluttering faster and higher as 7:00 drew near. She eased herself quietly onto the porch, hoping to avoid another awkward encounter with her family when Robin rang the doorbell. And, to be honest with herself, she was impatient to see him again.

She saw his car turn onto Mifflin Street and her hands immediately to smooth the dress along her hips. She brushed an errant lock of hair out of her eyes and fixed what she hoped was a confident smile on her face. Her smile widened as he climbed out of the car. Dressed in khaki pants and a blue sport coat, he looked refined and smooth and good enough to kiss senselessly on her parents’ front porch. He smiled as he caught sight of her.

“Waiting for me, I see,” he said. “I hope I’m not late.” He climbed the steps of the porch and reached for her.

“Not at all,” she replied. “You’re right on time.” Without thinking, she lifted her chin and kissed him in greeting. If the initial display of affection surprised him, he recovered quickly; his arms tightened around her, his hands stroking the bare skin exposed by the backless dress, and he deepened the kiss eagerly. She clutched at the lapels of his jacket, shivering involuntarily as the scruff of his beard brushed against her chin. He pulled back at that, but his hands remained splayed against her back. _Thank you, Kathryn_ , she thought as his thumbs lightly brushed against her skin.

“I’m quite glad to see you as well,” he said with a smile, treating her to the full effect of his dimples. She grinned back at him, well aware that she was blushing. “You look fantastic,” he added, giving her a slow-once over.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she laughed as she tugged the lapels of his jacket. “But I do like the t-shirt and work gloves on you.”

He furrowed his brow. “That hardly seemed appropriate. But, if you like it, you’re welcome to stop by the warehouse at any time and I will be happy to flex my manly muscles for you.” He gave her a slow wink, and she felt the butterflies once again start fluttering in her belly. How long had it been since she felt like this?

 _Not since Daniel_ , said the voice inside her head. She pulled herself out of his arms, annoyed that the thought of Daniel had popped up to ruin the moment. “Come on,” she said, taking his hand. “The family’s not quite ready yet, so I’ll give you a tour of the house.”

He squeezed her hand in reply. “Lead on,” he said as he followed her through the front door. “I am at your service tonight.”

***

Of all the restaurants in Storybrooke – all six of them – the Greek Taverna had always been Regina’s favorite. Small, dark and intimate, with candles burning in empty ouzo bottles and the yeasty aroma of fresh bread in the air, it was both homey and exotic. Her mother preferred the Japanese restaurant and her father favored Granny’s (of course he did; Ruby flirted with him shamelessly and Granny always slipped a couple extra slices of bacon on his plate even though Cora reminded her at every visit about Henry’s cholesterol), but the Greek Taverna was Regina’s little secret. She had brought Emma and Mary Margaret here every year on their birthdays, introduced them to the wonders of souvlaki and tzatziki, and laughed when Meg brought them each a thick slice of baklava with a candle. Mary Margaret had picked the tavern for the rehearsal dinner for her, she knew, and she was grateful.  And eager to dig into the stuffed grape leaves sitting in the center of the table. Robin pulled her chair out for her, ever the gentleman, and she settled her napkin in her lap.

“Dolmades,” Robin said with a reverent sigh. “I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

“You’re a fan of Greek food?” she asked. “It’s a good thing. If you weren’t, there wouldn’t be a second date.”

He laughed at that. “Technically, milady, this _is_ a second date. But even if I weren’t a fan, I’d fake it for the sake of the pleasure of your company.” He reached over and tucked that same errant lock of hair behind her forehead. “Now then,” he said as he reached for his own napkin, “who will I be meeting tonight?”

She gave him the brief rundown of the assembled guests – the extended Blanchard clan from Maine, the Mills cousins scattered through Virginia, David’s small family still based in Storybrooke, and Mary Margaret’s college friends that had flown in from various parts of the country. She avoided Daniel and Zelena, but she noticed that his eyes settled on them as she pointed out various faces in the room.

“Yes, they’re here too,” she said under her breath. “But I’m ignoring them.”

“Then I shall as well,” he said and reached into the bread basket to fetch a warm, fluffy slice of pita bread for her. “But I am eager to know who it is I need to charm tonight to stay in your good graces.”

Her laughter at that won her a wink from her dinner date. “You just need to work on my mother. Everyone else should be a piece of cake.”

“Done,” he said with a resolute nod and turned his attention back to the appetizers.

***

Regina was pleasantly stuffed by the time the plates were cleared. She’d tried to rein in her usual healthy appetite; after all, she had a bridesmaid’s dress to wear tomorrow, but she only got to taste Meg’s food once or twice a year and she was powerless to resist it. True to his word, Robin had spent most of the dinner chatting with her mother, even earning a blush or two from Cora. Of course, every time Cora giggled and simpered at Robin, Emma kicked her under the table, to the point that Regina was fairly certain she’d have few bruises the next day. She leaned over the table and hissed at Emma, “Kick me one more time and I’ll bring up the fact that your boyfriend bailed.” Emma was smart enough to heed her warning, but rotten enough to continue making kissy-faces at Regina every time Robin’s attention was directed elsewhere _. I’m glad I’m not the only one who turns back into a ten-year-old around here_ , Regina thought. She kicked Emma harder. Her pointed toes were going to leave a hell of a mark, and it was no less than Emma deserved.

“All right, everyone, we have some special drinks set up for you in the bar, and I believe there are a few people who’d like to make some toasts, so if you’ll follow me,” Meg said from the entryway to the dining room.

Robin eased her chair away from the table and rested his hand on the small of her back as he followed her to the bar. She wrinkled her nose at the sight of the tiny glasses filled with ouzo lined up on the bar, three coffee beans floating in each. “Not a fan of ouzo?” he asked at the look on her face.

“It’s the only thing here I don’t like, but Meg makes me drink it every time I come here,” she said ruefully.

He leaned in a little closer. “Perhaps I could sneak you a glass of water,” he whispered in her ear, and she smiled at the memory of the bachelorette party. She turned her head to his, so close that his stubble brushed her cheek, and said, “I’m a big girl. I can take it.” He grinned at that and the hand that had been resting on her back snaked around her waist to settle on her hip. She leaned slightly into him, and at the feel of her weight resting against him, his arm tightened around her. He dropped a quick kiss against her temple. She closed her eyes for a brief second, taking the time to relish the feeling of this man seeking her out, wanting to be with her, making her laugh and treating her with such care and tenderness. For the first time, she found herself thanking Ruth Nelson for taking that header on the sidewalk.

When she opened her eyes, Daniel was staring right at her, jaw clenched and irritation written all over his face. Regina’s stomach plummeted. She was going to have to face him, she knew, and put the old demons to rest. Maybe tonight was the best time to get it over with.

Suddenly, the ouzo was starting to sound like a pretty good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> splitting up the dinner into two parts - hopefully I'll be done with pt. 2 tomorrow, but I wanted to post something since it's been so long since I've updated. Thanks for your patience, and thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rehearsal dinner pt. 2.

Regina was on her third shot of ouzo when the toasts finally came to an end, with Ashley telling a tale of David coming to bail out Mary Margaret and her friends the one night in high school when they’d decided to be rebellious and gone streaking across the town square. Cora’s eyes were closed and her lips pressed together in a firm line, but Henry leaned in and whispered something in her ear, and she laughed at whatever it was he said. David made a quip that his only regret was that he showed up after the fun, which brought cheers from the assembled guests and blush from his bride. Through it all, Regina remained in Robin’s arms, her back pressed up against him and his hand encircling her waist. She felt safe with him. She didn’t want the feeling to end.

End it did, though, with the buzz of Robin’s cellphone. He pulled it out of his pocket and grimaced. “Marian,” he said to her. “I have to take this.” He answered with a short _Hello_ and walked out of the bar.

She shifted on her feet, feeling suddenly adrift and more than a little bit wobbly with the effects of the ouzo. She caught Emma’s eye and shrugged, and Emma tugged on Henry’s arm. Before they could make their way across the room, though, Regina felt a hand on her shoulder.

 _Daniel_.

“Now is not the time,” she said with a sigh.

“When is the time?” he asked. “Every time I see you, you’re either with that guy, or you’re doing your best to avoid me. Regina, I’m not trying to cause trouble. I just want to talk to you.”

She turned to face him, arms crossed over her chest. He gave her a pleading look, and she sighed. “What about Zelena?” she asked.

“She’s gone back to the B&B with the girls. Please, Regina. Just give me ten minutes.”

She nodded. He rested a hand on her arm and led her back into the restaurant.

***

She sat ramrod straight in her chair, doing her best to avoid eye contact with Daniel. The empty dining room was chilly, and she rubbed her hands against her biceps to warm herself. Daniel stood and started to remove his jacket. “I’m fine,” she said, waving him off. Now talk.”

He sat back down and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I know it’s long overdue, but you deserve to hear it. I was scared, and I abandoned you when you needed me, and I’m sorry.”

She nodded in response. She’d waited for 14 years to hear those words, but found that they were hollow comfort. “I appreciate it,” she said, trying to mask the hollow tone in her voice.

He paused for a second, fiddling with the half-drunk glass of water in front of him. “I didn’t mean for things to happen with Zelena. I hope you know that.”

She turned away from him and surveyed the empty dining room. Meg’s staff was hard at work clearing tables. Meg herself shoved linens into a basket, and she shot Regina a worried look. Regina shrugged her shoulders. One of the waiters headed their way to clear the dishes, but Meg stopped him with a hand on the arm. Whether she liked it or not, Regina wasn’t going to be interrupted in the middle of the conversation she so desperately didn’t want to be having.

“Regina?” Daniel said, and she turned her attention back to him. “I’m listening,” she said. “You were telling me about Zelena.” She couldn’t stop the disdain creeping into her voice. Screwing up the miscarriage was one thing, but coming home with Zelena a few months later – that was unforgivable.

“She just showed up one night, about a month into the summer program. I was at a party, and she came up to me, and we were drinking…” his voice trailed off.

“And you slept with her,” she finished. He nodded, guilt written across his face.

“I did,” he said. “And I wanted to call you and tell you what happened. But I couldn’t face it. I knew how much you hated her.”

“So, instead of being honest with me, you just – what? Fell into a relationship with her?”

Daniel shrugged. “She was there, and she made it easy. I was so mad at myself, Regina. I knew I’d let you down, and I felt like shit about it. She told me that it wasn’t my fault, and I believed her. I believed her because I wanted to.”

“So, it wasn’t my mother, and it wasn’t me. It was you all along.” Regina shook her head, and a hollow laugh escaped her. “All this time I’ve been defending you, thinking something must have driven you away, when the truth was you _ran_ away. You ran away without a single word to me why, and you left me to deal with all of it – _alone_ – for 14 years.”

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. She pulled it back, but his grip was too strong. “I didn’t mean to do that,” he said earnestly. “That’s why I came to see you in Arlington all those years ago. I didn’t want to go through with the wedding if there was still something between us. Regina, you don’t have to believe me, but I didn’t stop loving you. I just…got lost along the way.”

The feel of his hand on hers was achingly familiar, even after all these years. Her eyes prickled with tears, and she fought to hold on to her wavering composure. “Why are you telling me this now?” she asked. “We’ve both moved on. You have a family, for christ’s sake. Why bring this all up when there’s nothing we can do about it?”

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Maybe because…Regina, the moment I saw you, I knew that it wasn’t over between us. You were my first love.  It’ll never be over between us.”

“Daniel,” she whispered as she wiped away a tear, “it _is_ over between us. It has to be over between us. You have a family that loves you. I have a life of my own. We’re not the same people we were all those years ago, and I don’t want to go back to that.” She pulled her hand from his grasp. “I can’t go back to that.”

He studied her face for a moment. “Just think about what I said. And if you change your mind, I’ll be waiting to hear from you.” He pushed his chair back and stood. She nodded, not looking up at him. He took a few steps away from the table, then turned back and placed a hand under her chin, tugging her face up to his. “This time,” he promised, “I won’t screw it up.” He stroked a thumb against her cheek.

“Go, Daniel,” she said. “Please.” He nodded and walked away, and she buried her face in her hands. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. She’d been waiting over a decade for Daniel to come back to her, but now that he had, she couldn’t bear it. It was too late for them.

 _Is it?_ A traitorous voice asked in her head. She wiped the tears from her face. She couldn’t think about this, not tonight. Tonight was for Mary Margaret and David, and she wouldn’t ruin it for them. She stood and straightened her dress. When she turned to go back to the bar, she saw Robin leaning against the doorway to the dining room.

“Are you all right?” he asked, and she shook her head. He crossed the room in a few long steps and pulled her into his arms. She breathed in the smell of him – cologne and fresh laundry and _Robin_ – and she felt the tears start anew. He held her for a few minutes, stroking her hair, until she managed to pull herself together.

“How long were you standing there?” she asked. He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her, and she dabbed her eyes, careful not to further smear her makeup.

“Long enough,” he said grimly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She didn’t want to talk about it, but she owed him the truth. She gestured to the table and asked him to sit down. When he was seated across from her, she took a deep breath. “Daniel was my first love,” she said. She launched into the story, telling him about their relationship, about the miscarriage, about Daniel’s betrayal that summer. His posture stiffened as she continued to talk. She wanted to skip over the last part – the conversation she’d just had with him – but she wanted to be fair to him. If he was going to be in her life, she wanted him to know the full, messy truth. Let him decide how much he could handle, and if he chose to walk away and never look back, she wouldn’t blame him.

“He told me he wants another chance,” she said, and his hands clenched into fists. He asked her what her answer was. “I didn’t answer,” she replied. “I told him to leave.”

He let out a sharp exhale, and she realized that he’d been holding his breath for most of the story. “Robin,” she said. “I…I don’t know what to do with all this.”

He studied her face for a moment, then leaned forward. “Regina, I like you. Very much. I think you’re beautiful, and charming, and I enjoy spending time with you. And if you’re looking for a second chance at happiness, I think we could find it together.” He paused. “I’ll be happy to be your second chance, but I won’t be your second choice.”

She nodded, swallowing past the lump in her throat. “I wouldn’t ask you to do that.”

He stood and pulled her into his arms. She grabbed the lapels of his sportcoat and pulled him into her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I really am.”

Robin tipped her chin up to his. “You need to decide what _you_ want. If that’s not me, so be it.” She could see the anger and frustration written all over his face. One more relationship she was screwing up spectacularly. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

He sighed and released her. “I’m sorry, too,” he said. With that, he turned and walked away.

***

When she finally made her way back to the bar, Meg was pouring out the last shots of ouzo for the night. “It’s tradition,” she called out. “You take the last shot with someone you love, and you make a wish.” The rehearsal had gotten rowdy, and the extended Blanchard family was cheering. Regina wanted nothing more than to slip out of the room unnoticed, but Emma grabbed her elbow before she could make her escape.

“Come on, Rose Red,” Emma said. “You look like you could use a wish. So we’re going to see that you get it.” Emma held up her shot and clinked her glass with Regina. Regina closed her eyes. She wanted to wish that this night never happened.

 _I wish I knew what to do_ , she thought. _No, I wish I knew how to be happy._ She opened her eyes and downed the shot.

“Tomorrow,” Emma said. “Tomorrow, we’ll fix this, whatever it is. I promise.” Regina leaned into Emma’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” she whispered. _Tomorrow_ , she thought. Tomorrow she would know what to do.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for hanging in there. Only a couple more chapters to go.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night before the wedding.

When they got back to the house, they found three identical boxes waiting on their beds, a pre-wedding gift from Cora. Regina opened the lid of the box and pulled out a pair of white satin pajamas. She laughed in spite of herself. A tradition dating back to the first Christmas they’d spent together, Cora would always buy the girls a matching set of pajamas to wear to bed the night before a big event.  This might be the last big event they celebrate together; soon enough, Mary Margaret would be buying matching pajamas for her own children. Regina’s eyes misted over. _Everything is changing_ , she thought. She tugged the dress over her head and pulled on the pajamas, then headed down the hall to where Emma and Mary Margaret were giggling in Mary Margaret’s room.

Mary Margaret’s eyes were shining and her cheeks were flushed. Regina suspected that she might have had one ouzo shot too many, but on closer look she realized – Mary Margaret was happy. Blissfully so.  It was  seeping out of her, too much to be contained in her small body. Regina settled herself onto the bed and pulled Mary Margaret into her arms. “And what, may I ask, is so funny?” she asked, and Emma started laughing all over again.

“Emma was just telling me about my obligations as a married woman,” Mary Margaret replied, swatting at her sister. “Apparently I need to make sure his shirts are pressed, his shoes are polished, and I have to greet him every night with a martini. And I’d better by God have fresh lipstick on, or he’ll leave me for his secretary.”

Regina laughed at the idea of her headstrong cousin waiting on David. “And did you talk about the wedding night?” she asked. “You have duties, you know.”

Emma laughed harder at that, her breath coming in wheezes as her shoulders shook.

“She did,” Mary Margaret said primly. “She said I should close my eyes and think of England.” With that, Regina lost her battle to remain composed, and the three of them dissolved into laughter. They were wiping tears from their eyes when Cora appeared in the doorway.

“Girls,” she said, gently chiding the three full-grown women who were sprawled out on Mary Margaret’s queen-sized bed. “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and Mary Margaret needs her sleep. It’s time to turn out the lights.” She smiled, her face softening. “I don’t want to have to come back here again.”

Regina held out a hand to Emma and tugged her off the bed. “Yes, Mother,” she said lightly. “We’ll be good.” She and Emma trudged out of Mary Margaret’s room, and Cora went in after them, closing the door. Regina and Emma exchanged a look in the hallway. “Man, what I wouldn’t give to hear THAT conversation,” Emma muttered.

“You know Mary Margaret will tell us tomorrow,” Regina replied lightly. “It’s not like she can keep a secret.” Regina pulled Emma to her, brushing a kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight, Swan Princess. Love you.” She released Emma and turned back toward her own room, but Emma caught her hand.

“Not so fast,” she said. “I want to talk to you.” Emma tugged Regina down the hallway and shoved her – a little less gently than was required – into Regina’s room.

“So. What the hell happened tonight?”

Regina took a deep breath. She didn’t even know how to put into words what she was feeling, but she knew that if she didn’t get it out, she’d never be able to sleep. She filled Emma in on the conversation with Daniel and the resulting conversation with Robin, feeling her insides twisting into knots as she finished.

Emma sat silently, absorbing. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to figure out what to say. Regina curled herself into a protective ball against her headboard.  Emma always gave good advice, but her penchant for bluntness had Regina more than a little worried. She fiddled with the satin edging on her blanket, refusing to look up and meet Emma’s eyes.

“This isn’t like you,” Emma said finally. “You’re the most decisive person I know, and you’re acting like you have absolutely no control over what happens. Regina, only one thing matters here – what do you want?”

She flashed to Robin telling her that she needed to decide what she wanted, and she bit her lip. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “I feel like I’ve finally gotten what I’ve always been waiting for, Daniel coming back to me, but it’s…hollow, somehow.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s hollow,” she said. “He has you on the hook, but if you turn him down, he goes back to Zelena without a second glance. I guarantee you he’s not losing sleep tonight. He wins either way.”

Regina shrugged at that. She didn’t want to believe that of Daniel, but she couldn’t deny the truth in Emma’s words. Since that day in the hospital, Daniel had always had a plan b, an easy way out. She’d convinced herself that it wasn’t his fault for fourteen years, but after tonight…she couldn’t do that anymore.

“You’re right,” she said with a sigh. “Even if I said yes, and I let him come crawling back, there’s no way I could ever trust him again.”

“Not to mention the fact that if you thought Zelena hated you before, it would be nothing compared to the hellfire she’d rain down on you if you stole her husband.”

Emma had a point there.  And, truth be told, she was tired of thinking about Zelena. She was tired of the old rivalries from grade school. She had enough battles to fight in her career; she didn’t need to revisit old wounds from childhood. Particularly when pitted against an adversary who had everything to lose.

“So what do I do now?” she asked Emma.

Emma rested her chin on Regina’s knee and smiled. “Suck it up, buttercup,” she said. “Tell Daniel to pound sand and fix things with Robin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is a short one! the final chapter will be done tomorrow :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the final chapter!

Summer days in Virginia were a crapshoot at best and a swampy, muggy nightmare at worst. Regina stood at her bedroom window, staring out at the sun-drenched tents lining the backyard, praying that the weather would cooperate. _An outdoor reception in June_ , she thought, shaking her head. Mary Margaret was too damn optimistic for her own good.

She trudged down to the kitchen, only to find a very disgruntled Emma, hair wrapped in curlers, sullenly pushing cereal around the bowl with her spoon. “What’s gotten into you?” she asked as she pulled the gallon of milk from the fridge.

“Your mother,” Emma replied. “She woke me up bright and early to do my hair. Apparently she doesn’t trust me to be able to look presentable on my own.”

Regina laughed at that, largely because she had the same concerns. Emma was a jeans and ponytail kind of girl, not a strapless satin dress and earrings girl. “What was it you said to me last night? Suck it up, buttercup?” She poured herself a healthy serving of cereal.

Emma let out a loud hmph and dropped her spoon.  “I am perfectly capable of sucking it up, just not at 8:00 in the morning.” She shoved her bowl aside. “Speaking of last night, how are you feeling today?”

“Better,” Regina said with a shrug. “Not great. But I’ll be fine. Just as long as Mother stays far away from my hair.”

“What are you going to do?” Emma asked, and Regina sighed as she rested her elbows on the counter.

“I’m going to put on that tasteful dress that I picked out, smile during the ceremony, keep an eye on Mother so that she doesn’t get lit up on champagne, and then come home and pass out. And tomorrow, I’m going to drive home with you and Henry, and get back to my life. That’s what I’m going to do.”

“All good plans,” Emma said, just as Regina’s cellphone buzzed with an incoming text. She snatched the phone off the counter, hoping to see Robin’s name on the lock screen.

No such luck. It was a text from Mary Margaret. _Get up here now - your mother wants to cut my hair._ She sighed and put the milk back in the fridge. Breakfast would have to wait. “Come on, Emma,” she said. “Duty calls.”

When they finally left the house, Regina was relieved to discover that the stifling humidity from the day before had dissipated. She took a deep breath, inhaling the cloying scent of her mother’s gardenias, and sent up a quick thanks that the weather chose to cooperate. Emma came stomping out the door behind her, still a little disgruntled that Cora had spent half an hour wrangling her long blonde hair into a fancy updo. Regina shot her a look that clearly said _smile and get over it_. A little hair-pulling was more than worth keeping the peace, especially when it was Emma’s hair being pulled, not hers.

Henry Sr. held open the doors to his Cadillac, ushering the bride, his wife and Henry into the car. Regina and Emma hopped into Regina’s Mercedes. The dresses were stored carefully in the car’s trunks, the flowers would be waiting for them at the church, and both Henrys were already impeccably dressed in their wedding finery.

“Nothing to do now but get this show on the road,” Regina muttered as she started her car.

“I told Mary Margaret it wasn’t too late to run,” Emma said, and Regina laughed. “How did she take that?” she asked.

“She told your mother she missed a spot at the back of my head. Just a guess, I don’t think she liked it,” Emma admitted ruefully.

“Well, your sense of humor leaves a little to be desired,” Regina pointed out. “Much like your fashion sense.”

“I’m much funnier than you people give me credit for,” Emma said primly. “Killian always laughs at my jokes.”

“Killian is a sucker. Did you talk to him today?”

Emma nodded. “He asked me to put Mary Margaret on the phone. I’m pretty sure he gave her his best wishes…but you never know.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “If there’s one thing I know, it’s that the two of you are well matched. Neither one of you should be let out in public unsupervised.” She paused for a second, then added, “I don’t suppose you told him that there’s still a seat available if he can make it out here today?”

“He can’t,” Emma said. “They’re clearing away the burnt parts of the docks so that the construction crews can start rebuilding on Monday. Besides, I’m not sure that there is an empty seat available. Just because you’ve given up on Robin showing, doesn’t mean I have.”

Regina sighed. “I admire your optimism, Swan, but I’m pretty sure it’s misplaced. But thank you, nonetheless.”

Emma shrugged. “That’s what family is for. To believe, when you don’t believe yourself. You always believed in me. Now I’m returning the favor.”

She couldn’t help the tears that started to well in her eyes. Barely ten o’clock, and she was already getting emotional. This day was going to be a tough one, no doubt about it. She reached over and tugged one of Emma’s curls. “You’re not so bad, Emma. No matter what Mother says about you.”

Emma laughed at the backhanded compliment. “Likewise, my dear. Likewise.”

***

The church was empty when they arrived, save for the florists who were hanging bouquets on the pews and the photographer who was waiting patiently by the bride’s room to start snapping photos. Regina eased herself into the pink satin gown, being careful not to muss her hair or smudge her makeup.  Everyone’s attention was focused on Mary Margaret, so she took a moment to tuck herself into the window and try to shake off her feelings of dread. She was happy for Mary Margaret, truly; she didn’t want to be the sour face in the photos, no matter how much her heart wasn’t in celebrating. As Cora posed to take the traditional shot of the mother of the bride adjusting the veil, she eased herself out of the bride’s room and down the hallway to the doors that led to the small courtyard. She leaned against the heavy wooden doors and took several deep breaths.

“I was wondering if I’d catch you,” she heard, and her throat clenched. _Daniel_. She closed her eyes and steeled herself.

“You look beautiful,” he said. “That color suits you.”

She nodded impassively. “Thank you,” she said.

“Listen,” he said. “I was hoping to catch you before the ceremony. I’m sorry if what I said last night came out of left field, but I meant it. I really do want a chance to make it up to you. All of it, if you’ll let me.”

She studied him , his lopsided grin, his cold blue eyes and dark brown hair that even after all these years still fell in his eyes. She remembered brushing it aside as a teenager, remembered holding his chin in the palm of her hand. Remembered how dead his expression was that day in the hospital when he told her they needed time apart. That was it, she thought. That last moment, when he walked away from her after the worst experience of her life, that was the legacy he would always leave her.

 After 14 years, she was relieved to realize that she had nothing left to give him. She said goodbye to that small, dark place in her heart that still cherished the thought of a happily ever after and let it go, feeling it floating away, feather-light,  into the warm June sunshine.

“Your family is waiting for you,” she said softly. “You’d better go find them.”

He took a step toward her and reached out a hand, but she sidestepped him. “No,” she stated. “No. It’s done. I’m done. Thank you for your apology, but that’s all I need from you now.” She turned and pulled the heavy door open, leaving him staring open-mouthed in her wake. Once inside the rectory, she took a handful of deep breaths. It was done – Daniel was in the past, and she was going to leave him there where he belonged. She let out one more exhale and walked down the hallway to rejoin her family.

***

The opening notes of Pachelbel’s Canon filled the church as they lined up in front of the sanctuary. Daniel’s girls were to lead the procession, followed by Henry and the bridesmaids. Regina nudged an errant curl back into Emma’s elaborate updo, earning her a swipe and a glare from Emma. “What?” she whispered. “You keep messing with it. Leave it alone or Mother will kill you.”

“Piss off,” Emma shot back in a stage whisper, and Regina couldn’t help but laugh. Well, if lighting hadn’t struck Emma when they first walked into the church, it wasn’t likely to happen now. Ruby began her march down the aisle, and Regina took her place in the doorway. She took slow steps, a steady smile fixed on her face, and focused on the altar in front of her. _One foot in front of the other, and keep smiling_ , she thought. She took her place at the foot of the altar and turned back as Emma was halfway down the aisle, looking as uncomfortable as she could be. Regina shot her a cheesy grin, and Emma’s face relaxed in some semblance of a smile. She took her place next to Regina; both turned to the doors to watch Mary Margaret make her entrance.

Oh, she was beaming on Henry’s arm, and Regina felt a shadow of envy pressing into her chest. She shot a quick look at David, and sure enough, his eyes were wet with tears. Emma nudged her and winked, and she leaned into her with a small sigh. At least one of them had gotten it right. Her eyes drifted over the congregation – people she had grown up with, people that had known her parents, people whose children were Mary Margaret’s students. All of them turning out on a Saturday morning to witness this event.

She froze. Six rows back, on the outside of the pew, an unmistakable head of sandy blonde hair. _Robin_. Her breath caught in her throat. Every face in the church was turned to watch Mary Margaret walk down the aisle, but his eyes didn’t leave her face.  Her breath caught in her throat – she didn’t expect to see him here at all, and most definitely didn’t expect to find him looking at her with such an intense look of longing. For a moment, she didn’t know how to react.

Emma’s words echoed in her head. _You’re the most decisive person I know_. She made a decision – this is what she wanted. He was what she wanted. Her lips curled up in a small smile, and he answered with his own. She held his gaze until the minister began the ceremony and she reluctantly turned to follow the ceremony. She tried to keep her attention on what was going on at the altar, but her eyes kept wandering back to the pews, and every time, Robin met her gaze. Every nerve ending in her body tingled with the awareness of his eyes on her, even when she wasn’t looking. By the time the minister pronounced David and Mary Margaret husband and wife, Regina was afraid that she was seconds away from bursting into flames. She followed Emma down the aisle on autopilot, fighting against every instinct that screamed for her to turn back and grab Robin, kiss him and never let go.

Later. There would be time for that. He was _there_ , after all, there just to be with her. Her heart beat faster at the thought.

***

She stood arm-in-arm with Graham, David’s partner at the station, waiting to be introduced as a member of the bridal party. As the emcee called out their names, she let Graham lead them into the tent and twirl her around, enjoying the cheers and applause as he dipped her and kissed her cheek. Graham pulled her back up and twirled her to the side of the dance floor, linking his arm in hers. She did a quick sweep of the tent – she caught Daniel’s sour expression, but no sign of Robin _. There’s still plenty of time_ , she thought, trying to stifle the bit of panic she felt. The emcee introduced Emma and the best man, and then the crowd hushed as they waited for Mary Margaret and David to make their entrance. As the tent flaps swept aside and David ushered Mary Margaret inside, Regina felt a tug on the back of her dress. She turned around, at first thinking it was Henry stepping on her dress.

He pulled her back from where she stood, into the darkened corner of the tent. “Forgive me, love,” he whispered, “but I just had to tell you that you look stunning.”

She wanted to come up with a clever response, some idle flattery or quick quip, but the words died in her throat. Instead, she grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket and pulled him to her, pressing her lips to his. Caught by surprise, he hesitated for just a second, then his arms circled around her waist and pulled her tightly to him. She traced her tongue against the seam of his lips, and he parted them for her with a tiny moan, barely enough for her to hear. Her hand drifted up to the base of his neck, and she raked her nails through his hair as she traced his perfect teeth with her tongue. _This_ , she thought. _This is what I want_.

He pulled back, struggling a bit for air. She brought her hand around to his face and traced his cheekbone with her fingertips. “You,” she whispered. “I choose you.” She cupped both of her hands on his face, laughing at his slightly dumbstruck expression. “I choose you. So you’d better be planning to stick around.”

He smiled down at her, finally. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “And I expect you to save me a dance.”

“Every dance,” she promised, and reached up to kiss him again.

***

The reception passed in a blur of well wishes, toasts and cheers for the bride and groom. For the first time since she’d left Storybrooke in college, Regina finally felt like she could hold her own. She had a life that she loved, a career that brought her success, and a man on her arm that saw her for who she was and wanted her the more so for it. She raised her glass with every succeeding toast, and her eyes grew misty as Emma promised that she and Regina would strive every day for the happiness that Mary Margaret had found with David. When the time came to throw the bouquet, Emma dragged her out of Robin’s arms and on to the dance floor. “If I have to suffer, so do you,” Emma whispered as she positioned herself squarely behind Regina.

 _Not so much_ , Regina thought with a smile as she caught Mary Margaret’s wink. Like a shortstop throwing out a runner at home plate, Mary Margaret turned and whipped the bouquet straight at Regina, laughing as she ducked at the last minute, forcing Emma to either catch it or wind up with a mouth full of roses. Emma stared horrified at the boquet. Regina laughed and said, “Guess Killian had better show up at the next wedding, since it looks like it’s going to be his.”

“I’ll never forgive you for this,” Emma hissed, and Regina smirked as she told her to add it to the list. Henry approached his mother, looking far more grown up in his tuxedo than he had any right to be, and asked her for the honor of a dance. Regina bit her lip as she watched mother and son take the floor, and her heart soared as she realized how fortunate she was to have them sharing her life.

And how fortunate she was to have met Robin, whose chest was suddenly radiating heat against the skin exposed on her back by her bridesmaid’s dress.

“I hope you’re not too distressed by not catching the bouquet,” he whispered into her ear.

She leaned back against him, curling her head into the warm groove of his neck. “Not at all,” she said. “I already have everything I want right here,” and she led him out on the dance floor for the last dance of the first night of the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, and for your feedback and reviews. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it. I am so grateful for everyone who responded positively to this story, especially since this was truly a labor of love for me. It means more than you know.


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